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SERMONS 



VARIOUS SUBJECTS, 



REV. THOMAS A. MORRIS, 

ONE OF THE BISHOPS OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 



"And I will give you pastors according to my heart, which shall feed you with 
knowledge and understanding," Jeremiah iii, 15. 



CINCINNATI: 

PUBLISHED BY J. F. WRIGHT AND L. SWORMSTEDT, 

FOB, THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, AT THE BOOK CONCERN, 

CORKER OF MAIN AND EIGHTH-STREETS. 

R. P. Thompson, Printer. 
1842. 






Entered according to an Act of Congress, in the yea? 1841, by John F. Wright 
and Leroy Swonnstedt, in the Clerk's Office for the District Court of Ohio. 



In Exchange 
Duke University 
JUL 1 2 1933 



PREFACE. 



Several considerations have induced me to consent to 
•-he publication of these Sermons. The want of a small 
volume of instructive discourses on various religious sub- 
jects, suited in matter, manner, and cost to our people, 
and especially in the west, has long been felt by them, 
particularly as we have no such work on the Catalogue 
of Books printed and sold at our Book Concern. The 
Methodist Episcopal Church abounds in periodicals, biogra- 
phy, and history, but not in sermons of her own authorship. 
Perhaps one reason of this is, Mr. Wesley's Sermons are 
supposed by many to supersede the necessity of all others 
among us. I am perfectly free to admit, they are the best 
ever written, or that probably ever will be written; still 
that work is too voluminous and costly to meet the case 
of those for whom this is more especially designed. Be- 
sides, it is not clear to my mind, that all the sermons made 
in America, having a special adaptation to the state of 
society here, should die with their authors, without ever 
appearing in print, merely because superior ones for general 
purposes have been imported. There are in all communi- 
ties some peculiarities, which are best understood by the 
ministers who serve them. The Book Committee at Cin- 
cinnati, including the Editors, have several times, officially, 
requested the preparation of such a work as this is designed 
to be, while the Agents of that Concern, and other brethren 
in the west, have, for years, kindly encouraged the under- 
taking; and, hence, hoping it might do some good, I finally, 
though with much fear and trembling, consented to make 
the attempt. 



4 PREFACE. 

In the selection of subjects, while variety has not been 
neglected, as the work will show, usefulness has been the 
prominent object at which I aimed. As far as any distin- 
guishing doctrinal views appear in these discourses, they 
will be found to accord, substantially, with the standard 
works of our Church ; though but little reference is made 
to any book except the Bible, and from that quotations are 
numerous, and, I trust, appropriate. The plan of the 
Sermons is quite plain; in most cases only the general 
divisions are announced, and the formality of numbering 
the subdivisions, by prefixing figures, is generally dispensed 
with. In regard to style, I have endeavored in writing, as 
in preaching, to observe plainness of speech, omitting as far 
as practicable all difficult and unusual words, and adhering 
as nearly as convenient to Scripture phraseology. How 
far I have succeeded, or failed, in accomplishing these 
objects, let those determine who feel sufficient interest to 
examine for themselves. The publication of the work is 
an experiment ; and its success will depend on the blessing 
of God, to whose care and favor it is now commended, in 
the name of Jesus. May he make these Sermons the 
means of instruction and consolation to thousands of souls, 
after the author of them shall have gone " the way of all the 
earth!" Amen. Thomas A. Morris. 

Cincinnati, July, 1841. 



CONTENTS 



SERMON I. 

IABIT PIETY. 

"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the 
evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I 
have no pleasure in them," Ecclesiastes xii, 1. . . Page 9 

SERMON II. 

PRATER, 

" I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, interces- 
sions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men," 1 Timothy ii, 1. 16 

SERMON III. 
THE UNIVERSAL COMMISSION. 

" And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the 
Gospel to every creature," Mark xvi, 15. ♦ ... 29 

SERMON IV. 
THE OPERATION'S OP THE HOII SPIRIT. 

"Quench not the Spirit," 1 Thessalonians v, 19. . . 36 

SERMON V. 
RECONCILIATION. 

" Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did 
beseech you by us : we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to 
God," 2 Corinthians v, 20 46 

SERMON VI. 

REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION. 

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be 
blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence 
of the Lord," Acts iii, 19 57 

SERMON VII. 
THE ¥IL1, OBEDIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. 

"Be thou faithful unto death, 'and I will give thee a crown of life," 
Revelation ii, 10. . . 66 

1* 



D CONTENTS. 

SERMON VIII. 

THIETJIATION THE WAT TO THE KINGDOM. 

DISCOURSE I. 

" And that we must through much tribulation enter into the king- 
dom of God," Acts xiv, 22 Page 76 

SERMON IX. 

TRIBULATION THE WAT TO THE KINGDOM. 

DISCOURSE II. 

" And that we must through much tribulation enter into the king- 
dom of God," Acts xiv, 22 88 

SERMON X. 

HOPE. 

"Hope thou in God," Psalm xlii, 11. .... 96 

SERMON XI. 

THE CONNECTION OF THE GRACES. 

" And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also ; knowing that 
tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and expe- 
rience, hope : and hope maketh not ashamed : because the love of God 
is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto 
us," Romans v, 3, 4, 5. 103 

SERMON XII. 

THE THREE-FOEB STATE OF MAN. 
Preached at the funeral of William ISFLean. 
"If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed 
time will I wait, till my change come," Job xiv, 14. . . Ill 

SERMON XIII. 
RELIGIOUS TOWS. 

"Pay thy vows unto the Most High," Psalm 1, 14. . . 129 

SERMON XIV. 
THE GREAT DAT OF G O D ' S WRATH. 

" For the great day of his wrath is come ; and who shall be able to 
stand?" Revelation vi, 17 138 

SERMON XV. 
THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST. 

" If any man serve me, him will my Father honor," John xii, 26. 147 

SERMON XVI. 
THE RESURRECTION OF C H II I S T . 

"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for ever- 
more. Amen," Revelation i, 18. . . . . . 158 






CONTENTS. 7 

SERMON XVII. 
THE PHITIIIBIS OF THE POOR. 

" The poor have the Gospel preached to them," Matt, xi, 5. Page 172 

SERMON XVIII. 

NADUS-, THE LEPER, HEALED. 

"And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My 
father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou 
not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, 
Wash, and be clean?" 2 Kings v, 13. .... 188 

SERMON XIX. 
THE WAY TO HEAVEN. 

" Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, 
let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me," Mat- 
thew xvi, 24 196 

SERMON XX. 
THE ACHIEVE ME NTS OF SINNERS. 

"But one sinner destroyeth much good," Ecclesiastes ix, 18. 204 

SERMON XXI. 
THE FAITHFUL PREACHER. 

" And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the 
people," Luke iii, 18. 213 

SERMON XXII. 

THE HOLT SABBATH. 

"x\nd he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the 
Sabbath," Luke vi, 5. 220 

SERMON XXIII. 
THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH. 

" The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, 
saith the Lord of hosts," Haggai ii, 9. .... 230 

SERMON XXIV. 
THE'StTBJECTS OF BAPTISM. 241 

SERMON XXV. 
THE MODE OF BAPTISM. 253 

SERMON XXVI. 
PETER'S SECOND CONVERSION. 

"And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren," Luke 
xxii, 32 266 



8 CONTENTS. 

SERMON XXVII. 

THE KNOWLEDGE OP GOD, AND THE MEANS 

OF EXTENJDING IT. 

"Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased," 
Daniel xii, 4 Page 283 

SERMON XXVIII. 

RELIGION. 298 

SERMON XXIX. 
A TRUE ISRAELITE. 

"Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile !" John i, 47. 305 

SERMON XXX. 

HELD. 312 

SERMON XXXI. 
THE PRIVILEGES AND OBLIGATION OP BELIEVERS. 

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all 
that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto 
him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world 
without end. Amen," Ephesians iii, 20, 21. ... 320 

SERMON XXXII. 
THE GRACE OP OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he 
was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his 
poverty might be rich," 2 Corinthians viii, 9. ... 329 

SERMON XXXIII. 
FAITH IK CHRIST. 

" Let not your heart be troubled : ye believe in God, believe also in 
me. In my Father's house are many mansions : if it were not so, I 
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go 
and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto 
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also," John xiv, 1, 2, 3. 340 



SERMONS. 



SERMON I. 

EARLY PIETY. 

" Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil 
days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no 
pleasure in them>" Ecclesiastes xii, 1. 

The history of Solomon, who is the supposed author 
of these words, is a valuable comment on the vanity of all 
human grandeur. Having resorted to wealth and power, 
learning and public achievements, wine and pleasure, feast- 
ing and mirth, in pursuit of happiness, he pronounced them 
all to be "vanity and vexation of spirit. " After this, he 
shows the whole duty and true felicity of man ; the sum 
of which is, to fear God and keep his commandments, 
which he sets forth in these words: "Let us hear the con- 
clusion of the whole matter : Fear God, and keep his com- 
mandments : for this is the whole duty of man. For God 
shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret 
thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." 

As the best means of shunning that vanity, and obtaining 
this felicity, he recommends early piety, saying, "Re- 
member now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." Be- 
lieving, as we do, that it is still the best safe-guard to the 
morals, reputation, manners, present and future prospects 
of the youth of our country, we are not ashamed to imitate, 
in our feeble way, the example of the wise man; and, there- 
fore, have chosen this text with reference to their spiritual 

9 



10 EARLY PIETY. [SER. I. 

good. We shall notice its more important parts under the 
following divisions :•— 

I. What is implied in remembering our Creator. 

II. The time when that work should be done. 

III. The arguments in favor of that time. 

I. To remember, as the term is used here, is not barely 
to retain in, or recall to the mind, the knowledge previously- 
possessed of God ; but it is to be mindful of, and to observe 
our high obligations to him. God is said to remember the 
wicked when he punishes them for sin, and to remember 
the righteous when he rewards them for their labor of love. 
We are glad that it is written, "The righteous shall be in 
everlasting remembrance." So we are said to remember 
him, when we render him that homage which is his just 
due as our Creator, Preserver, Benefactor, Redeemer, 
Savior, Governor, and Judge. 

God is worthy of being remembered by us all with 
esteem: mark his perfections, "Glorious in holiness, fear- 
ful in praises, doing wonders" amongst men; and with 
gratitude, on account of his mercies. To him we owe our 
lives and all the blessings which render them tolerable unto 
us in such a world as this ; our redemption through the Son 
of his love, and all the blessings of the covenant of grace, 
whether in possession or in prospect. Also, with obedi- 
ence. Observe his authority, who is the Maker of our 
frames, the Father of our spirits, and the Sovereign of the 
universe : all his perfections are wonderful, " but the thunder 
of his power, who can understand?" 

To sum up all briefly, we remember our Creator, in the 
sense of our text, only when we love him with the whole 
heart; render an entire obedience to the whole economy 
of the Gospel of Christ, and dedicate unto him, without 
reserve, our time and talents, strength and substance, souls 
and bodies, with all we have and all we are, which is our 
reasonable service. 






SER. I.] EARLY PIETY. 11 

II. The time when this work should be done, according 
to the text, is, in the days of youth. At what particular 
time children arrive at the knowledge of good and evil, and 
become accountable to God for their conduct, must depend 
on a variety of circumstances, such as their natural capaci- 
ties, the privileges they enjoy, the instructions afforded 
them, the examples set before them by parents, &c. ; con- 
sequently, some pass the line of accountability much sooner 
than others. But one thing is certain, namely, whenever 
we are sufficiently advanced in years and knowledge to sin 
against the Lord knowingly, we are then old enough, and 
know enough, to repent or perish. O how precious are 
the days of youth ! They form the period in which most 
of those habits are formed which accompany us through life, 
and have an influence on our everlasting destinies. How 
useful might they be if well spent in treasuring up the 
lessons of wisdom, and laying the foundation of future use- 
fulness and happiness ? But who thinks of these things in 
due season?" Did you ever observe, how simple are the 
plays of children, how cruel the sports of boys, and how 
empty and vain the conversation of young people in general ? 
Suppose a dozen of fashionable young people collected to 
spend a social evening, and an invisible agent employed to 
take down their conversation, directed by the impulse of 
their own minds-, and according to their own fancies ; and 
suppose that they should presently, after retiring, read it in 
print, would they not be ashamed of such authorship ? Not, 
however, for the want of better understanding, or better 
opportunities in life, but for want of more seriousness. But 
happy are those youths, who, obeying the Spirit's call, 
retire from these gay circles, and take themselves to pra)^er, 
reading the Bible, and sober reflection; for God says, "I 
love them that love me': and they that seek me early shall 
find me." 

While the evil days come not, or delay their coming ; for 



12 EARLY PIETY. [SER. I. 

they are sure to come, sooner or later. Yes, young and 
hale, gay and prosperous, as you now are, scenes of afflic- 
tion and woe will overtake you. Whether we shall be rich 
or poor, honorable or dishonorable, who can tell ? But that 
we shall have affliction and death, is beyond all doubt. 
Some of us may yet be doomed to the most abject poverty, 
or thrown among the out-casts of society; we may be 
encountered by furious enemies, or betrayed by treacherous 
friends ; we may yet writhe under the sting of disappointed 
ambition, or wither under blasted hopes ; we may follow 
our dearest friends and relatives to the tomb, and be left as 
friendless orphans to seek bread for ourselves, without any 
one to direct us in the paths of virtue and piety ; we may 
linger for years under some wasting pulmonary or chronic 
disease, and will certainly "die and go the way of all the 
earth." Hence the importance of early piety; for if we 
remember our Creator while the evil days delay their 
coming, we shall have him for our "strong hold" in all 
those scenes of affliction and trouble ; but if not, then we 
must bear them all ourselves, with the addition of an 
accusing conscience, and an awful sense of "the wrath 
to come." 

Nor the years draw nigh, ivhen thou shalt say, I have 
no pleasure in them. Without the friendship of God, the 
seasons of age and affliction will afford us no pleasure, our- 
selves being judges. Then all our youthful sports, in 
which we now delight, will be sickening vanity unto us. 
Nor will we take pleasure in the recollection of former 
scenes, except those of virtue and piety. What pleasure 
will it afford us when we are old, or sick and dying, to 
remember the companions of our youth, who helped to 
make our evenings cheerful, some of whom will be settled 
in distant countries, some dead, and all dispersed, while we 
shall be left alone, or with a new race of people ? What 
pleasure shall we then have from the remembrance of time, 



SER. I.] EARLY PIETY. 13 

precious time, which we have squandered away by doing 
nothing, yea worse than nothing, even to a criminal neglect 
of our eternal interests ? Or what pleasure shall we derive, 
in the sad days of adversity, from the recollection of all the 
balls and parties, races and carousals, where we have 
figured in the circles of folly? Alas, none but the few 
moments employed in the service of God, will then afford 
any pleasant reflections. Complaints about long Sabbaths, 
long sermons, many prayers, and noisy zeal, will then be 
exchanged for self-reproaches, bitter cries, and loud lamen- 
tations. We hasten to notice, 

III. The arguments in favor of remembering our Creator 
in the days of youth, in preference to any other time. It is 
the most convenient time, which appears, partly, from the 
nature of our employments ; for young people, in general, 
have much more leisure than others. Though they may 
do as much settled business, their intermediate moments 
are not taken up with numerous cares like those of others, 
who are heads of families, masters of shops, or such as 
have professional duties to perform ; and, consequently, 
they have a better opportunity to mind the concerns of 
religion. 

Young people, too, generally have better health than old 
people. Indeed, this is one of Solomon's principal argu- 
ments in favor of early piety, which he exhorts us to 
embrace before age and infirmity, of which he gives a 
striking picture in this chapter, prevent us. To feel the 
force of this argument, we have only to recollect, that while 
we come now to the house of God, and enjoy its sacred 
pleasures, the aged and infirm are confined at home, and 
tortured with numerous pains, beside the unhappiness 
of being deprived of the privileges in which we now 
participate. 

The mind is so constructed, that our first impressions 
are the strongest and most lasting. Of this truth the 

2 



14 EARLY PIETY. [sER. I. 

memory affords a specimen. An old gentleman recollects 
distinctly, and relates circumstantially, the events of early 
life, while those of later date are very soon forgotten ; and 
what is true of his memory, is also true of his other 
faculties. Of course, his facilities for learning truth, and 
forming a saving acquaintance with Christ, are greatly 
lessened. In the morning of life, while the mind is vigor- 
ous, is the better time to enter as disciples in the Gospel 
school. 

The force of habit is another argument. It is well 
known that habits long continued are exceedingly difficult 
to change, especially bad habits. Ask the man long con- 
firmed in habits of dissipation if this is true , and he will tell 
you, "Once I might have reformed, and would not: now 
I would reform, but cannot." Suppose a man, long con- 
firmed in habits of irreligion, determines now to change his 
manner of life, how very. difficult the undertaking? "Can 
the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? 
then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." 
Here, Jeremiah designs to show, not the impossibility, but 
the great difficulty of changing the long continued habits 
of wicked men ; from all which appears the importance 
of becoming pious while we are young, before our impious 
habits are confirmed, while our hearts are tender, our affec- 
tions glowing, and we are susceptible of deep and lasting 
impressions. 

Christian experience affords another strong argument in 
favor of our doctrine. When do we usually receive our 
strongest religious impressions ? Generally when we are 
young ; and those who yield to them at first, soon receive 
the knowledge of God unto salvation, but those who resist 
them grow harder, as a natural consequence, and become 
less and less affected by them, until they finally cease to 
feel entirely. Hence so many more young people get 
converted than old ones; hence, also, our encouragement 



SER. I.] EARLY PIETY. 15 

to address the youth. If the hearts of older sinners resist 
the precepts of the Gospel, still the younger and more 
tender heart may yield to their heavenly influences. 

The shortness of time sustains our position. The sooner 
we commence, the less we have to repent of, and the longer 
time to repent in; whereas, the longer we put off repen- 
tance, the more we have to repent of, and the shorter time 
to do it in. These, and many other arguments, show, that 
in the days of youth we have the most convenient time to 
remember our Creator; and those who are waiting for 
their difficulties to subside, are only adding to them daily. 

In the morning of life is the surest time of success. If 
we deliberately set out in the great work of salvation when 
we are young,- and healthful, and have the ordinary pros- 
pects of living, then we have no occasion to doubt our own 
sincerity ; but if we never begin until we are old, or 
afflicted, and think we are about to die, we will have reason 
to fear that our repentance arises only from the fear of death 
and hell." We would not say, however, that all death-bed 
conversions are delusions, lest we should limit the mercy 
of God. Nor would we say, that in general, they are 
genuine, lest we should say peace and safety, when there 
is no safety. A drowning man would catch at a straw ; 
and a dying sinner would grasp at a shadow of hope, rather 
than go to eternity without any hope at all. The better 
way is to begin now, and lay up for ourselves a good 
foundation against the time to come. 

To embrace religion early in life, affords the most com- 
fort. Infidels and sceptics may tell you, that a life of piety 
is made up of superstitious melancholy. But we claim to 
be the better judges in the case; they have tried the ways 
of sin, and are ignorant of the pleasures of piety, but we 
have tried both, and know that the former is the road to 
misery, and the latter the road to felicity. To know that 
God is our Father and Friend, and that we are his children, 



16 PRAYER. [SER. II. 

and in his favor, affords the highest degree of pleasure 
of which we are susceptible through life. And, surely, 
nothing short of this state can cheer us in the vale of death. 
If we spend our lives in the ways of God and religion, we 
may confidently expect his supporting grace when dying ; 
for though our hearts and flesh shall fail, God will be the 
strength of our heart, and our portion for ever. But if we 
treat God as an enemy through life, with what sort of confi- 
dence can we claim his friendship in death? 

In conclusion, we would observe, in no part of this dis- 
course have we intended to say, that the salvation of the 
aged sinner is impossible. We only say, it is more diffi- 
cult, and therefore less probable than that of the youth ; for 
the truth of which we appeal to his own experience. And 
by him, dear young friends, take timely warning. A 
thorough preparation for heaven is the work of a life time. 
To say that God has given us more time than is necessary, 
would implicate his wisdom. To say he has given less, 
would impeach his goodness. Then begin now. Bow 
down to the authority of Christ. Take his yoke which is 
easy, and his burden which is light. "Seek the Lord 
while he may be found, and call upon him while he is 
near," and you shall have the pleasures for which you 
were born. Amen. 



SERMON II. 

PRAYER. 

" I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, interces- 
sions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men," 1 Timothy ii, 1. 

This exhortation of Paul was founded on certain facts 
brought to view in the preceding chapter, to which the 
term " therefore" in the text refers ; namely, his own con- 
version, and the apostasy of others. For himself, the 
apostle admits he "was before a blasphemer, and a perse 



me 

rse- 



SER. II.] PRAYER. 17 

cutor, and injurious," but obtained mercy because he did it 
ignorantly in unbelief, which is perhaps more than could 
be plead in behalf of some of us. Next, he charges his 
son Timothy to war a good warfare : " Holding faith, and 
a good conscience ; which some having put away concern- 
ing faith, have made shipwreck : of whom is Hymeneus and 
Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they 
may learn not to blaspheme." In view of these solemn 
facts, he exhorts us to pray for all men; for sinners, that 
they may be converted ; and for those who have faith, that 
they may not fall from their steadfastness. We shall now 
endeavor to show, 

I. What prayer comprehends. 

Prayer is a petition to God, offered in the name of Christ, 
for some blessing we need, or to avert some evil we dread, 
according to his will. Of course, our petition should be 
reduced to some form of expression, whether spoken softly 
or vehemently ; and though we think it unprofitable to con- 
fine ourselves to printed forms of prayer, composed by 
those who may be ignorant of our peculiar circumstances, 
we also think they are mistaken who suppose that a desire 
to be blessed is sufficient, without expressing that desire. 
Christ instructed his disciples to say, " Our Father, which 
art in heaven," &c, and not think it merely. The reason is 
obvious : though God understands our wants as well before 
we express them as he does after, the thought of them does 
not exert the same influence on our own minds that is 
exerted by expressing them in words, to say nothing of the 
influence it has on others when we pray in public. 

Another important thing comprehended in the general 
subject of prayer, is, supplication. Prayer brings the peti- 
tion before the throne, and supplication urges the plea. 
This is a Scriptural distinction, not only as to the name, 
but likewise as to the things designated. The case of the 
importunate widow is a good illustration. "And he spake 
2* 



18 PRAYER. [SER. II. 

a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to 
pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, 
which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there 
was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, 
Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a 
while : but afterward he said within himself,- Though I fear 
not God, nor regard man ; yet because this widow troubleth 
me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she 
weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge 
saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, w T hich cry- 
day and night unto him, though he bear long with them ? 
I tell you that he will avenge them speedily." 

Prayer also comprehends intercession ; that is, pleading 
with God for others. The love of Jesus produces in our 
hearts ardent desires for the salvation of our fellow creatures, 
and an afFecting concern for their safety, which inclines us 
continually to plead with our heavenly Father for them, 
and thus to imitate our blessed Redeemer, " who ever liveth 
to make intercession for us." How far it pleases God to 
spare the wicked in answer to the prayers of the righteous 
in the name and for the sake of his Son, is difficult to tell; 
but it is certain that a few righteous souls would have 
saved the cities of the plain, and it is probable the Lord 
spares our wicked world only for the sake of Christ's inter- 
cessions, and the comparatively few righteous that are in 
and praying for it, as he does not generally destrov the 
righteous with the wicked, but waits for the former to 
depart, before the storm is sutTered to break on the latter. 

Giving of thanks is a very material part also of the 
general duty of prayer. To record with words of gratitude 
the loving kindness of the Lord, is a work at once pleasing- 
to us, and acceptable to him. The want of this gratitude 
is a real fault. If you confer on one who is an object 
of charity many favors, and instead of blessing you for 
them, he continually complains because you do not give 



SER. II.] PRAYER. 19 

him more, would you not think him an ungrateful and 
undeserving man? How then do we grieve our heavenly 
Father by our complaints on account of what we have not 
received, when we should be praising him for blessings 
already conferred. If we would serve him acceptably, we 
must praise him for all that is past, and trust him for all 
that is to come. Therefore, we would exhort you in the 
language of Paul to the Philippians : " Be careful for noth- 
ing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with 
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. 
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, 
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." 

II. We shall next notice, briefly, the several kinds 
of prayer. 

Public prayer is of general utility in a worshiping 
assembly. It impresses, more or less, with a sense of duty 
to God, all who pay respectful attention to it, and is a 
deeply interesting part of public service ; but it is specially 
beneficial to all who suitably engage therein. The whole 
congregation should unite fervently in this solemn exercise. 
When the minister says, "Let us pray," he does not mean 
that while he prays, others should be mere idle spectators. 
All are dependent on the Almighty, and therefore all should 
pray humbly and earnestly to him to pity, bless, and save 
them. Hence, David said to the congregation of Israel, 
"O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel 
before the Lord our maker." 

Secret prayer, in the intervals of public worship, is 
essential to our individual peace and prosperity. Public 
prayer is good as far as it goes, but recurs too seldom to 
keep alive the spirit of devotion, say one day in the week. 
Who could fast six days out of seven, habitually, and 
retain his health and strength? And if we pray only on 
the Sabbath, we shall only linger out a short and sickly 
spiritual existence. If three meals a day are necessary to 



20 PRAYER. [SER. II. 

sustain the health and vigor of the body, our souls should 
be put off with no less. Shame on the Christian who eats 
more frequently than he prays. David's rule would be 
good for us all, "Evening and morning, and at noon, 
will. I pray, and cry aloud; and he shall hear my voice." 
Precious, indeed, are the moments of the Christian, when, 
separated from the observation of men, and the corroding 
cares of life, he is admitted to audience with God, and has 
leave to tell his Father in heaven all he feels, desires, 
hopes, or fears, with the promise and expectation of being 
heard and answered. Suitable direction and encourage- 
ment for the performance of this duty are furnished by our 
Savior in these words: "But thou, when thou prayest, 
enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, 
pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father 
which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." 

Family prayer is another important duty of the Chris- 
tian. As we are never safe only when God protects us, 
and never happy only in his favor, we should begin and 
end each day with him, thus committing constantly to 
his care all our family concerns. That this duty is obliga- 
tory on heads of families, may be satisfactorily gathered 
from the Holy Scriptures ; if not by express precept, yet by 
fair inference ; and the performance or neglect of it is a o-ood 
general test of a man's piety. The most holy Christians 
attend conscientiously and strictly to it, while the more 
careless and lukewarm generally neglect it in whole or in 
part. The faithful observance of this duty is essential for 
the spiritual interest of all the family, especially the chil- 
dren, who, after all, are more influenced by example than 
precept. Indeed, we do not regard any man religious, in 
any important sense of the word, if he be the head of a 
family, unless he offers up the morning and evening sacri- 
fice of prayer and praise on the family altar. But here we 
nave not time to dwell. 



SER. II.] PRAYER. 21 

Again, social prayer is highly proper and beneficial. 
We should, at stated times, assemble for prayer meeting; 
and being met, each one should take up his cross and act 
his part in the solemn service, when called on by those 
appointed to lead in, or conduct the exercises of the occa- 
sion ; because if one may decline, so may another, and 
finally all might be excused, and consequently the meeting 
dissolved. Does one object on the ground that he is not 
in the spirit of it ? This only shows the greater necessity 
of going to work, that he may cultivate that spirit. Does 
another wish to decline, because he regards his gifts as 
being inferior to those of his brethren ? The Lord requires 
him to use only the gifts bestowed on him, and not those 
given to others. We would farther encourage such, by 
saying, they are most eloquent in prayer who are most 
simple-hearted, fervent, and believing. Indeed, the want 
of faith is more in our way than the want of fluency ; for 
if we pray much in secret, as we should do, and are there 
in the habit of expressing the wants of ourselves and 
others, can we not express the same vocally? Do you 
object, saying, the people would hear me, and that would 
be embarrassing ? We answer, God hears when we pray 
in secret, and surely we should not be more ashamed before 
men, than in the presence of the Almighty. A proper 
sense of our wants, and a little faith in God's ability and 
willingness to hear and answer and bless, would relieve 
the whole difficulty. 

Finally, on this part of the subject, we should have 
stated times to perform all these duties. Ejaculation, or 
occasional breathing of our thoughts and desires to God, 
may have its use, and afford some consolation; but we 
shall never maintain our ground, as Christians, much less 
grow in grace, without certain fixed times set apart for the 
duty of prayer, and the oftener the better, especially as it 
regards secret prayer ; but this must depend somewhat on 



22 PRAYER. [SER. II. 

the nature of our daily circumstances and business. What 
renders this method more important, is, the spirit of prayer 
will be cultivated. The more we pray the more we desire 
to pray, and the less we pray the less we care to pray at 
all. This has been ascertained by the experience of thou- 
sands. We know that business will interfere, and company 
will interfere with such rules, and the more we give way 
to such difficulties, the more they will intrude on our devo- 
tions, till at last we shall have scarcely any privilege left. To 
all such hindrances, we should say, thus far ye may come, 
and no further. A little system, and a little firmness, 
would overcome all such difficulties. It is worthy of re- 
mark, that David and Daniel, though much pressed with 
public business, found time to pray, regularly, three times 
a day; and certainly Christians should pray as much as 
Old Testament saints. 

III. We shall now speak of the nature or properties 
of prayer. 

The language of prayer should be grave and dignified, 
but simple — without compliment or ornament, expressing 
our real wants in the most concise manner, and with child- 
like confidence. Every effort to make a display of words, 
or incorporate narrative, or learned quotations in prayer, is 
highly objectionable, as much so as it would be in a criminal 
pleading for his life. The Scripture examples of prayer 
are a standing reproof of such impropriety. The publi- 
can's prayer was, " God be merciful to me a sinner." 
The prophet Habakkuk said, "O Lord, I have heard thy 
speech, and was afraid : O Lord, revive thy work in the 
midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; 
in wrath remember mercy." Now, in these examples, we 
find no circumstantial relation brought in by way of intro- 
duction — no flattering titles addressed by the suppliants 
to the Supreme Being. They spoke as if they had lost 
sight of every thing but the objects set forth in the petitions, 



SER. II.] PRAYER. 23 

and those they urged with words expressive of vehement 
desire. 

Prayer should be appropriate to the circumstances of 
those for whom it is offered. The sinner should pray for 
knowledge of his real condition ; the penitent for pardon ; 
the believer for full salvation; the afflicted for patience and 
resignation; the prosperous for humility; the volatile for 
gravity ; and the depressed for cheerfulness, &c. 

Sincerity is an essential property of prayer. God, who 
looks upon the heart, requires truth in the inward parts, 
and they who worship him acceptably, do it in spirit and 
in truth. The God of truth is always sincere in his threat- 
enings, warnings, invitations and promises, and we should 
be sincere before him. We may deceive ourselves and 
others, but God cannot be deceived, and he will not be 
mocked. This sincerity is perfectly reconcilable to the 
most affecting sense of our unworthiness, and even with a 
sense of guilt for past sin, for which we now repent and 
ask forgiveness. We pray, not because we think ourselves 
good, but that the Lord may make us better and more 
happy ; and when we know ourselves to be honest with 
God and our own souls, however unworthy, it gives us 
confidence to ask in the name of Jesus the things we need. 
Then, like Job, we can say, " He knoweth the way that I 
take : when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." 

Humility is indispensable to genuine prayer; that is, a 
sense of our unworthiness as fallen creatures, called, in 
Scripture, poverty of spirit, on which many blessings are 
pronounced : " He that humbleth himself, shall be exalted." 
In order to this, we should bow low and confess heartily 
before God, throwing ourselves upon his clemency in 
Christ Jesus. We do not contend that any one position 
of the body in prayer is exclusively required, or absolutely 
essential to success ; but kneeling is the ordinary mode 
spoken of in the Bible This is more convenient for public 



24 PRAYER. [SER. II. 

worship than prostration on the face, and is vastly more 
favorable to the spirit of devotion than standing erect, with 
so many objects in view to divert the attention from the 
proper subject. It is very seldom that a standing congre- 
gation become deeply engaged with God in prayer, and it 
is still worse with those who sit in prayer. Sitting in 
prayer time, except for good reason, is disrespectful; 
standing to pray expresses some reverence, and has some 
show of authority in Scripture ; but kneeling is the most 
Scriptural, the most humble, most devotional, and there- 
fore most proper. Daniel stood on his knees three times a 
day, and prayed and gave thanks to God. David exhorted 
the people to kneel before the Lord their maker. When 
Peter called on God to raise Tabitha from the dead, he 
kneeled down and prayed. When Paul held a meeting 
of the elders of Ephesus, before they parted, he kneeled 
down and prayed with them all. When- Christ repaired to 
Gethsemaue, on the evening of his great agony, he with- 
drew from his disciples about a stone's cast, and kneeled 
down and prayed. And the apostle said to the Philippians, 
"At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things 
in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the 
earth;" that is, angels, men and devils shall feel his power, 
either to salvation or destruction, and acknowledge the 
same by bowing the knee before him. How much better 
it would be for proud mortals to bow to the sceptre 
of mercy now, than to be finally beaten down with the rod 
of his power, with which he will break his enemies in 
pieces, as a potter's vessel is broken. 

Again, prayer must be according to the Divine will, as 
revealed in the Holy Scriptures. In asking favors at the 
throne of grace, Ave are limited only by the promises, and 
they are "exceeding great and precious." Still the Lord 
has never promised to grant any thing derogatory to his 
glory, or man's best interest ; and were we to ask ever so 



SER. II.] PRAYER. 25 

earnestly for such things, we should not receive them. 
For example, we might ask God to pardon our sins, without 
any reference to the atonement of Christ, or to take us to 
heaven in our sins ; but either would be morally impossible. 
Again, we may pray for certain things which we suppose 
would be great blessings, but which he sees would prove 
curses to us ; and, therefore, in mercy, he would withhold 
them from us, as a prudent father would withhold from 
his little child the hurtful toy, however anxious he might 
be to obtain it; from all which, it appears, we should 
pray with resignation to our heavenly Father's will ; thus 
imitating the example of our great Redeemer, when he said, 
"Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." 

Lastly, we must pray in faith, trusting exclusively and 
fully in the Lord Jesus as a present and all-sufficient Sa- 
vior, and in view of his most encouraging words, "Verily, 
verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father, 
in my name, he will give it you;" and again, "Ask, and 
ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." 

We come now to notice, 

IV. The subjects of prayer. 

If the maxim, " Charity begins at home," be proper in 
any case, it may be so in this, that we be careful first to 
secure our own salvation. Each one of us has an immortal 
soul, a deathless spirit, which will assuredly be the subject 
of endless bliss or endless woe, according to the use or 
abuse we make of our time and privileges in this world. 
Its redemption cost the mighty sum which none could pay 
but the incarnate and spotless Son of God, and is worth 
more, in the scale of human felicity, than the earth would 
be, if it were solid gold. Well might Jesus say, "What 
shall a man be profited, if he gain the whole world, and 
lose his own soul?" Ah, true enough; for if he lose his 
soul, he will lose all things else of course. Now, there- 
fore, to avoid this total and irreparable loss, let each one 

3 



26 PRAYER. [SER. II. 

begin this moment to pray God to have mercy on him, a 
sinner, for Christ's sake, and never cease praying for one 
moment till his prayers shall be turned into praises, from 
a consciousness, such as nothing but the Holy Spirit can 
give, that he is pardoned and "born again." 

This great object secured, while our hearts will expand 
with the love of God, and run out in prayer and desire for 
the salvation of all men, it may be admissible for us to feel 
very special concern for the salvation of the objects of our 
natural affection. It is a wise arrangement of Providence, 
that our natural affection should be stronger for wives and 
husbands, parents and children, brothers and sisters, than 
for strangers, because our first obligations toward human 
kind are to them ; and why should not our spiritual affec- 
tion be stronger for them, our interest for their salvation 
greater than for that of strangers ? If this house were now 
on fire, whom should ye seek first to rescue from the 
flames? Here are our companions, parents, children, 
brothers and sisters, all around us, many of them apparently 
unconscious of their danger, while the flames of destruction 
are ready to kindle about them, and hell is moving beneath 
to meet them at their coming. Call mightily upon God to 
send his awakening Spirit to their hearts, and open the 
eyes of their understanding to see where they are going ; to 
reach forth the hand of mercy, and snatch them as brands 
from everlasting burning, before the short day of their 
merciful visitation is ended, and the night of endless despair 
settles down upon their guilty, but blood-bought souls. 

While we pray for our kindred after the flesh, we must 
not forget our brethren after the spirit, and. brethren in 
Christ, all that love him in sincerity, of every name and 
every land. We should pray daily that their numbers and 
graces may be increased, till Zion becomes the wonder 
of the whole earth. Such prayers strengthen the bands 
of union, and increase the fellowship of saints. What sort 






SER. II.] PRAYER. 27 

of a world would this be to live in, if there was no Church 
in the midst of it ? If the last child of God but one was 
translated to heaven, would that one wish to stay here any- 
longer? Thank God, that our lot was ever cast in his 
family, and among his people; and blessed be his holy 
name for the prospect of living with them for ever. It is 
true, we are very much scattered here, but we can meet 
often at the throne of grace, and while we pray for each 
other, strengthen the hope of meeting in our Father's 
house above. 

In the meantime, we should pray for our enemies. 
Though our religion allows us to love some people more 
than others, it allows us to hate none ; but requires us to 
love them that- hate us, bless them that curse us, and pray 
for them that despitefully entreat us and persecute us. 
This precept of our Savior is founded in wisdom and 
goodness. By obeying it, we shall not only avoid much 
unprofitable conversation and bad feeling in regard to our 
enemies, but will at the same time cultivate the noblest 
principles of which our hearts are susceptible, evei^ peace 
on earth and good will toward men. 

We must not forget to pray for rulers, "for kings, and 
for all that are in authority ; that we may lead a quiet and 
peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." Recollect, it 
is God that putteth one down, and setteth up another. 
Those rulers are all carrying out, as instruments, the pur- 
poses of his providence, and we should pray that they may 
be directed, and, when necessary, overruled for the best 
interest of the Church and world. 

In a word, we must pray for all men, rulers and subjects, 
saints and sinners, friends and enemies. "I exhort there- 
fore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, 
and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and 
for all that are in authority ; that we may lead a quiet and 
peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is 



28 PRAYER. [SER. II. 

good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior ; who 
will have all men to be saved, mid to come unto the knowl- 
edge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator 
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus ; who gave 
himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 
From this exhortation to pray for all men, and that accord- 
ing to the will of God, because Christ gave himself a 
ransom for all, the inference is conclusive, that the salva- 
tion of all is possible ; we might as well pray for fallen 
angels, as for that part of mankind excluded from an interest 
in the atonement of Christ, if there were any such. At the 
same time it is equally clear that their salvation is not 
unconditionally certain, otherwise our prayers for them 
would be useless. And, how wide is the field of our 
benevolent efforts to save the souls of redeemed sinners. 
As far as human population extends, we should follow 
them with missionaries and prayers, pleading with God, in 
the name of his Son, for Jews and Christians, Turks and 
pagans, saints and sinners. It is very encouraging to com- 
mence this plea in the language of the Psalmist, " thou 
that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." May 
the Lord hasten it in his time ! 

One point more, and we are done. Let all remember, 
that the duty of prayer is first in point of time , as it 
is in point of importance. Paul says, "I exhort therefore, 
first of all," not last, nor second, "that supplications, 
prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for 
all men." It is too common for us to serve the world and 
ourselves first, and to serve God only when we may, with- 
out interfering with our temporal business ; but this is both 
ungrateful and unwise. Temporal and spiritual duties do 
not, necessarily, conflict with each other; when they do, 
so that we cannot attend to both, let us omit the less and 
perform the greater — the one which yields the greater good 
upon the whole. If we sacrifice earthly interests to wait 



SER. III.] THE UNIVERSAL COMMISSION. 29 

on the Lord, we may, through the mercy and free grace 
of God, inherit heaven; but if we neglect his service 
to accommodate ourselves, we only gain a trifle, while we 
lose our souls. We conclude, by exhorting all to " seek 
first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness," with the 
promise of having all things added. 



SERMON III. 

THE UNIVERSAL COMMISSION. 

" And he said unto theni, Go ye into all the world, and preach the 
Gospel to "every creature," Mark xxi, 15. 

' The first Gospel sermon that was ever preached in our 
world, w r as delivered to Adam and Eve immediately after 
they fell — the substance of which was, the seed of the 
woman shall bruise the serpent's head; meaning, Christ 
shall destroy the power of Satan. This allusion to the 
plan of salvation, though faint, was sufficient to inspire 
some degree of hope. 

The same thing was explained to Abraham more fully 
when the Lord promised him, saying, "And in thy seed 
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;" for this seed, 
Paul tells us, was Christ. From this period the system 
of the Gospel was gradually and slowly developed, until, 
in the fullness of times, Messiah made his appearance in 
our forlorn world, according to the ancient prophecies. He 
was dedicated to the sacred office of the priesthood, at the 
age of thirty years, by John his distinguished forerunner; 
after which he explained the precepts of revealed religion 
by his discourses; established the truth of them by his 
miracles; "died to make reconciliation for the sins of the 
people;" demonstrated all his divine claims by the resur- 
rection of his body ; appeared alive to his disciples ; and 
renewed their commissions in the language of the text, 

3* 



30 THE UNIVERSAL COMMISSION. [sER. III. 

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and 
preach the Gospel to every creature." We propose now 
to inquire, 

I. What is implied in the Gospel ? 

II. To whom is the Gospel to be preached? 

I. You will please to observe, from the way the first 
inquiry is proposed, that we only intend to consider the 
term Gospel, in its most general sense, to mean the whole 
Christian revelation, and remark that it implies, 

1. A system of truths to be believed. And here we 
have only time to refer to some of the sources of evidence, 
without any discussion of them ; such as, the character 
of its author, the benevolence of its design, its fitness to 
our moral condition, the circumstances under which it was 
written, the purity of its precepts, grandeur of its doctrines, 
sublimity of its style, fulfillment of its predictions, power 
of its miracles, efficiency of its operations, &c, 

2. A system of doctrines to be received, viz : The exis- 
tence and attributes of the Triune God, the creation and 
fall of man, the redemption of the world by Christ, divine 
influence or the agency of the Spirit, repentance and faith, 
justification, sanctification or holiness of heart, practical 
obedience, perseverance to the end of life, the immortality 
of the soul, the resurrection of the body, a general judg- 
ment, and eternal rewards and punishments in heaven and 
hell. Such are the grand outlines and essential doctrines 
of the Gospel. We say essential, because they are to 
Christianity, what the bones and sinews are to the animal 
frame : take these away, and you might as well undertake 
to convert the world by Seneca's morals, as by the Gospel. 
But stop, "It is no matter what we believe, so we are good 
people." We admit this is the more important considera- 
tion ; but, in order to be good, we must have good rules for 
becoming so. If we adopt bad rules of faith, and live 
according to them, we are sure to be bad people. If we 



SER. III.] THE UNIVERSAL COMMISSION. 31 

adopt good rules of faith, and live up to them, we are sure 
to become good people. If we adopt bad rules, and lead 
pious lives, we shall be good, inconsistent people. If we 
adopt good rules, and lead vicious lives, we shall be bad, 
inconsistent people. And nothing is more natural, than for 
our opinions to influence our conduct: it is in this view 
of the subject, that we give it such importance. 

3. A system of precepts to be obeyed. All our relative 
duties to God, and one another, are here embodied; the 
whole of which our Savior arranged under two general 
heads, viz., supreme love to God, and universal good 
will to men. " On these two hang all the law and the 
prophets:" whatever the law requires, or the prophets 
teach, are included in these two principles ; and "blessed 
are they that do his commandments, that they may have 
a right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates 
into the city." 

4. A system of promises to be enjoyed. Not, indeed, 
to the disobedient and impenitent; for to them, as such, 
there is no promise in all the oracles of God. But to all 
that will submit to the terms of grace, his promises are 
"exceeding great and precious:" suited to every possible 
condition in life, the promises of the Gospel afford us com- 
fort when all other resources fail. Here the poor, the sick, 
the broken-hearted, the bereaved, the tempted, the perse- 
cuted, and dying, may find a balm for all their woes. We 
hasten to inquire, 

II. To whom is this Gospel to be preached? The sub- 
ject of this inquiry may be brought fairly before us by a 
few plain questions ; and, 

1. Why are the ministers of Christ required to "go into 
all the world?" Answer, because they are commanded to 
"preach the Gospel to every creature." Now, if you can 
find a country where no people of any kind live, then you 
will have found the limit of our mission. But just as far 



32 THE UNIVERSAL COMMISSION. [sER. III. 

as human population spreads, so far our commission re- 
quires us to go, though it be to the ends of the earth. 

2. Why is the Gospel to be preached to every creature? 
Answer, because every creature of the human species has 
an interest in it. It is true, however, that the Jews had 
the first offer of salvation ; for when Christ first sent out 
his disciples to preach, he directed them to go not in the 
ways of the Gentiles, nor into the cities of the Samaritans, 
but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But after his 
death and resurrection, by which he broke down the parti- 
tion wall that had divided the Gentiles from the Jews, he 
enlarged their commission to embrace all, whether Jews or 
Gentiles, all being alike interested in "the ministry of 
reconciliation." And if it w r ere not so, we acknowledge 
our entire inability to give any rational explanation of our 
text. If it be true, that, " By the decree of God, for the 
manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are pre- 
destinated unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to 
everlasting death ;" and "these angels and men, thus pre- 
destinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchange- 
ably designed, and their number is so certain and definite, 
that it cannot be either increased or diminished," then our 
text contains a useless commission. If we believe this 
doctrine, why "preach the Gospel to every creature," or 
to any creature ? To whom shall we go, and what shall 
we say? If we preach to the elect, this is useless; for 
they will be saved, do what they may : if to the reprobated, 
it is lost labor ; for they must be lost, do what they can. 
To us it appears to be work in vain for ministers to spend 
their time and strength, endeavoring to prove to the people 
that their dooms were unalterably fixed from eternity, and 
if they are to be saved, they will be saved. But in what 
part of the Divine record is this doctrine written? How 
widely does it differ from the message to the shepherds, 
" Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall 



SER. III.] THE UNIVERSAL COMMISSION. 33 

be unto all people. For unto you is born this day, in the 
city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." And 
how perfectly does the preaching of Christ and his apostles, 
and especially the commission to "preach the Gospel to 
every creature," accord with this heavenly message of good 
tidings to all people. 

3. And why has "every creature" an interest in this 
Gospel? Answer, because Christ "died for all." To the 
law and the testimony — let the living oracles decide. " For 
this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior ; 
who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the 
knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one 
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 
who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due 
time." If the answer to this be, that, "though he died for 
all, it was only to save the elect, and procure temporal bles- 
sings for the others," then we request that Paul have leave 
to explain his own meaning, on this wise, " He died for all, 
that they which live should not henceforth live unto them- 
selves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." 
Here Paul informs us, that the object of Christ's dying for 
all, was not to procure temporal blessings merely, but that 
they might live unto him. Next, we may expect to hear, 
that " he died to save all, but all does not mean every one." 
What then meant the same apostle, when he said to the 
Hebrews, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower 
than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with 
glory and honor ; that he, by the grace of God, should taste 
death for every man?" But every one, it is suggested, 
does not mean the whole world. Give us then an expla- 
nation of 1 John ii, 2, "And he (Christ) is the propitiation 
for our sins ; and not for ours only, but also for the sins 
of the whole world." The proof is now before us, that 
Christ died for all; for every man; and for the whole 
world : and if it can be written in language any stronger, 



34 THE UNIVERSAL COMMISSION. [sER. III. 

that he died to save every human being, we confess our 
ignorance of the plain import of words. "But this drives 
you into Universalism." So you say, who believe the 
Gospel has no conditions ; and that for whomsoever Christ 
died, he died to save them absolutely and unconditionally, 
whether they would or not. But this is just as far from 
the truth, as that he died for the elect only. The design 
of Christ's death is set forth in these words, " Whom God 
hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, 
to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that 
are past, through the forbearance of God ; to declare, I say, 
at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and 
the justifier of him which believe th in Jesus." And the 
consequence of believing or not believing the Gospel is 
plain from these words, " He that believeth and is baptized, 
shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned." 
4. And why did Christ die for all? Answer, because 
"there is no respect of persons with God." Men, as it 
regards their union with God, were made equal by creation ; 
and, as it regards the loss of that union, they made them- 
selves equal by the fall. And though we admit it was mere 
favor that the Lord redeemed any, yet, if he redeemed any, 
he must either have redeemed all, or have been a " respecter 
of persons;" but he redeemed some, and Peter says, " God 
is no respecter of persons," therefore he redeemed all. 
How could it be otherwise, if Jehovah was impartial? 
The elect, before his election, was no better than the repro- 
bate, before his reprobation; and the reprobate was no 
worse, previous to his reprobation, than the elect, previous 
to his election. If it be said, there was no before to either, 
but the state of each was determined from eternity, we 
would inquire, if a person can be chosen or reprobated from 
any condition, without being first in that condition? If not, 
and men were chosen and reprobated from eternity, it 
would follow, that the condition from which they were 



SER. III.] THE UNIVERSAL COMMISSION. 35 

thus chosen and reprobated, was one which existed before 
eternity. Or could a non-entity be either chosen or reject- 
ed? To sum up the whole, briefly, the Gospel implies a 
system of truths, doctrines, precepts, and promises, to be 
carried into all the world, because it is to be preached to 
every creature; and preached to every creature, because 
every creature has an interest in it ; and every creature has 
an interest in it, because Christ died for all ; and Christ died 
for all, because he "is no respecter of persons.'* 

In the conclusion of our discourse, we would remark, 

1. The doctrines of our subject are very encouraging to 
all who are called of God "to minister in holy things." 
Wherever we can find our fellow beings, we need be at no 
loss for subjects of our ministry. Without regard to age, 
sex, wealth, poverty, learning, ignorance, complexion, 
language, politics, creeds, or peculiarities, we are author- 
ized to proclaim a full, free, and present salvation to all 
who will accept it on the easy and equitable terms of the 
Gospel. Instead of employing one-half of our time to 
prove to the people that their destinies were fixed before 
they were born, and that they can do nothing, and the 
other half in virtually denying all we have said, by warn- 
ing, exhorting, and reproving, with as much zeal, as though 
we believed one of the reprobates could be saved, or one 
of the elect lost, we say, instead of all this doing and undo- 
ing, we are authorized and encouraged to invite all our 
fallen race to look to Christ, and be saved. 

2. It is very encouraging to the people who hear and 
believe it. It teaches them if they are not saved, it is only 
because they will not come to Christ, that they might have 
life ; that God is both able and willing to save them all ; 
that grace requires no hard conditions of any. Of us he 
requires "repentance towards God and faith in our Lord 
Jesus Christ," and that in view of the influences of the 
Holy Spirit imparted to every man: of the heathen, the 



36 THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. [SER. IV. 

faithful improvement of "that light which lighteth every 
man that cometh into the world:" and of infants and idiots, 
no conditions, because none are practicable. Then come, 
"ye that are far off, hear what he has done; and ye that 
are near, acknowledge his might:" come, ye weary and 
heavy laden, weak and wounded, sick and sore, poor and 
maimed, and halt and blind, the Savior bids you welcome : 
you, who have tasted that the Lord is good, " cast not away 
your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward." 
May God pour out upon us all his healthful Spirit, and 
bring us to his heavenly kingdom ! Amen. 



SERMON IV. 

THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

"Quench not the Spirit," 1 Thessalonians v, 19. 

The Spirit here spoken of is, undoubtedly, the Holy 
Ghost, respecting which we, in common with Christians 
generally, hold this belief: "The Holy Ghost, proceeding 
from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, 
and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal 
God." Such is the language of the 4th article of our 
religion. The divinity and personality of the Holy Spirit 
is plainly taught, and abundantly proved, by the sacred 
writers in divers ways. He fills all space, and knows all 
things. David said, " Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?" 
And Peter said, " For the prophecy came not in old time 
by the will of man : but holy men of God spake as they 
were moved by the Holy Ghost." To him we are indebted 
for the sure word of prophecy, both in the Old and New 
Testament; and, of course, he possesses the attributes 
of omniscience, omnipresence, &c. 

The Holy Spirit also bears titles of supremacy. We 
may here give one example. " Peter said, Ananias, why 






SER. IV.] THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 37 

hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to 
keep back part of the price of the land ?».*.* thon 
hast not lied unto men, but unto God;" that is, to the 
Holy Ghost, here called God. And why should he not 
be called God, seeing he does the works of God ? When 
the earth was without form and void, and darkness was 
upon the face of the deep, "the Spirit of God moved 
upon the face of the waters." And Job describes the 
works of God, saying, "By his Spirit hath he garnished 
the heavens." But the Holy Spirit is much more promi- 
nent in the spiritual, than in the material creation. What 
is the regeneration or sanctincation of a soul, but the work 
of God? To accomplish this, requires the same power 
that it takes, to make a world. But this work of grace, 
whether it be called renovation, regeneration, new birth, 
conversion, purification, washing, sancthication, new crea- 
tion, translation, adoption, transformation, quickening, bap- 
tism, or resurrection, is usually ascribed to the agency 
of the Holy Spirit. To quote all the authorities would be 
too tedious: let a few suffice. Paul said to the Corinthians, 
" And such were some of you : but ye are washed, but ye 
are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord 
Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." The same apostle 
said to Titus, we are saved "by the washing of regenera- 
tion, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." 

From all this appears the vast importance of heeding the 
admonition in the text, " Quench not the Spirit." And this 
appears still more important from the consideration of our 
Savior's words to the scribes, who charged him with cast- 
ing out devils by Beelzebub ; from which we learn, that the 
unpardonable sin is willfully and maliciously attributing to 
Satan those works, which are manifestly performed by the 
Holy Spirit. We can only repeat a part of the answer 
which Jesus gave to those opposers of the truth, "Verily, 
I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons 



38 THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. [sER. IV. 

of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall 
blaspheme : but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy 
Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal 
damnation: because they said, He hath an unclean spirit." 

In the further consideration of this subject, we shall 
speak, 

I. Of the operations of the Spirit. 

There is no doctrine more clearly taught in the Holy 
Scriptures than the doctrine of divine influence, or opera- 
tion of the Spirit of God upon the heart of man; nor is 
there any doctrine, the propriety of which appears more 
obvious, when viewed in connection with our depravity 
and helplessness. AVe are "by nature children of wrath, 
even as others." There is, in this respect, no difference 
between Jews and Gentiles, "all are under sin," or under 
condemnation as sinners ; for " all have sinned, and come 
short of the glory of God;" and as all are fallen, so are 
all helpless. God says, " Without me, ye can do nothing." 
How could they do any thing of themselves, who "were 
dead in trespasses and sins?" The sum of the whole 
matter then is briefly this: Man, apart from the grace 
of God, is powerless, and cannot help himself; he is 
spiritually or morally dead, and cannot raise himself to 
"newness of life." Hence the necessity of the Holy 
Spirit to quicken him, that he may live. Paul, who once 
cried out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver 
me from the body of this death?" afterward said, "The 
law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free 
from the law of sin and death." Sin is bondage; but 
" where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." This 
Spirit is the only efficient agent by which the fallen nature 
of man can be renewed, and made fit for the kingdom 
of God. The answer of Jesus to Nicodemus is in point, 
" Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born 
of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the king- 



SER. IV.] THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 39 

dom of God. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; 
and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit. Marvel not 
that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind 
bloweth where it listeth, and thou nearest the sound thereof, 
but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth ; 
so is every one that is born of the Spirit." 

Again, the operation of the Spirit, in changing the heart 
of man, is indispensably necessary, not only for all men, 
but for all men of every generation ; because human nature, 
in its fallen and unregenerate state, is alike depraved and 
helpless in all ages, and in all countries. Whatever differ- 
ence there is between us and the most degraded heathens, 
in a moral point of view, is not natural, but of grace. 
Hence, the folly of those who admit that the Holy Ghost 
did operate in the days of miracles, but does not now. 
Can man change his own corrupt nature now any more 
than he could in the days of miracles, or is there any less 
necessity for such change now than there was then ? Some 
seem to think it a settled point, that the operations of the 
Holy Ghost ceased with the days of miracles ; but if so, 
then of course there have been no conversions since, 
for he is the only efficient agent in the accomplishment 
of that work. It is true, he uses instruments ; but these, 
without him, could no more convert a soul, than the pen 
could form a letter, without the power that wields it. The 
word of God, for example, is "the sword of the Spirit;" 
but as the sword cannot slay an enemy, unless it be directed 
by the hand of the warrior, no more can the letter of the 
Gospel convert a sinner, without the power of the Spirit 
attend it, and cause it to be quick and powerful, sharper 
than a two-edged sword. 

We are happy to know that man is not left to the dim light 
of reason, or the uncertain speculations of human teachers 
on this most momentous subject. The Savior of man, 
before he left the world, settled the question unequivocally, 



40 THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. [sER. 



that the Holy Spirit was to continue in the Church militant 
to the latest generations of men. In one of his last dis- 
courses with his disciples, he said to them, " If ye love me, 
keep my commandments : and I will pray the Father, and 
he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide 
with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the 
world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither 
knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth in you, 
and shall be in you." Who this Comforter, that Jesus 
said should abide with his people for ever, was, is definitely 
decided by himself during the same discourse, and only a 
few moments subsequent, when he added, "These things 
have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But 
the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father 
will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and 
bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have 
said unto you." Now, by putting these two testimonies, 
in their proper connection, together, they are complete and 
decisive authority to prove, that the people of God have a 
Comforter, that said Comforter is the Holy Ghost, that he 
is to abide with them for ever ; and, consequently, that the 
Holy Ghost was not only in the first Christian Church, 
but he is in the Church still, and will continue in her to 
the end of time, till her latest and youngest child shall be 
"redeemed, regenerated, and disinthralled." We rejoice, 
greatly, that these words come from the highest authority, 
and are so plain as not to be misunderstood; they are a 
standing solace to every true believer ; and, so far as this 
point is concerned, a full, irresistible refutation of Arian 
and Socinian heresies of every form, and in all ages. 
There are, also, many other authorities on this point 
entirely conclusive, but these are sufficient. 

The general offices of the Holy Spirit are designated by 
our Lord Jesus Christ in these most precious and ever 
memorable words, "But now I go my way to him that 



ant 

lis- 



SER. IV.] THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 41 

sent me, and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou ? 
But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath 
filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: It is 
expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the 
Comforter will not come unto you ; but if I depart, I will 
send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove 
the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment: Of 
sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, 
because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more ; of 
judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I 
have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear 
them now. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth is come, 
he will guide you into all truth : for he shall not speak 
of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he 
speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall 
glorify me : for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it 
unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine : there- 
fore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it 
unto you." 

To reprove the world of sin, is to convince the whole 
human family of their lost condition as sinners ; this, our 
Savior said, the Comforter should do, and this he doubtless 
performs. John proclaimed Jesus as the light of the world, 
and said the life that was in him was the light of men, and 
added, " That was the true light, which lighteth every 
man that cometh into the world;" but as the Gospel did 
not then, and does not yet, enlighten every human being 
of every nation, we may safely conclude, that the light here 
spoken of was spiritual light, heavenly influence, and that 
it is the agency of the Divine Spirit, through which Jesus 
lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 

The second general office of the Holy Spirit is to 
reprove or convince the world of righteousness. This he 
does by imparting to every man some knowledge of right 
and wrong; by changing the hearts of believers from sin 

4* 



42 THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. [sER. IV. 

to holiness, and bearing evidence of that change, when 
wrought, to the mind of the converted subject internally, 
and to his neighbor outwardly, by the influence which the 
change produces in his manner of life. Thus, while "the 
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the 
children of God," the reformation of life which immediately 
attends and follows, renders the change obvious to others, 
convincing the world of righteousness, and the necessity 
of embracing it themselves. And this work of the Spirit, 
convincing men of righteousness, was the more necessary, 
as Jesus showed to his disciples, because he went to his 
Father, and they should see him no more, as they had 
done ; and hence the necessity of the Spirit to supply the 
place of his personal teaching, and give light and life to the 
record of his truth. 

The next general office of the Comforter or Holy Spirit, 
is, to reprove or convince the world of judgment, because 
the prince of this world was judged or condemned by him, 
who is the light of the world. While the Spirit of truth 
convinces the sinner of his sin, and the Christian of his 
gracious acceptance with God, he equally convinces both 
of future retribution ; but not with the same effect on both. 
The sinner contemplates a solemn grave, a resurrection to 
condemnation, an expiring world, an infinite Judge, and an 
irrevocable sentence, with confusion and terror; but the 
established Christian views the future with confidence and 
composure : in the grave he expects rest, in the resur- 
rection he looks for triumph, and in the character of the 
Judge he recognizes his best friend. We shall now 
endeavor to show, 

II. What is meant by quenching the Spirit. 

To quench the Spirit is so to resist him, as to defeat his 
successful operation upoa our hearts, or destroy the o-ood 
intended. Perhaps the believer in coercive grace, may 
regard this as impossible, and ask, Cannot God perform 



SER. IV.] THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 43 

whatsoever he will? Certainly he can; but the question 
is, Does God will to save the sinner by force, or with his 
consent? The latter, most certainly. Though he irre- 
sistibly convicts all sinners, he irresistibly converts none. 
This is clearly a Scriptural distinction, as appears, for 
example, in the case of Saul, afterward called Paul, "who 
was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious." 
While he was in a rage, breathing out death and slaughter, 
he was irresistibly stricken to the ground ; but on learning 
the character of Him whom he persecuted, and by whom 
he was now prostrated, he surrendered, and humbly asked 
for direction, saying, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to 
do?" He obeyed the direction given, and after seeking, 
by prayer and fasting, for three days, found mercy, and 
became an apostle, and subsequently said, " Whereupon, 
O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly 
vision," — plainly implying, that he might have been diso- 
bedient; and what else, but willfully refusing the grace 
of God, prevents any from being saved? Christ said, "Ye 
will not come unto me, that ye might have life; which 
implies, they had power, not of their own, but of grace, 
to come, but they refused to exercise it. God said by the 
prophet Isaiah, "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat 
the good of the land : but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be 
devoured with the sword : for the mouth of the Lord hath 
spoken it;" from all which it appears God treats us as free, 
accountable beings, having liberty to choose or refuse ; for 
though he does, in great mercy, convince all of sin, and 
apprise them of their danger, he converts none till they are 
not only willing to be converted, but anxiously praying 
for it. 

But it may be asked, Is it not certain that in all cases 
where the Spirit begins a good work of grace in the hearts 
of men, he will carry it on to perfection? We think 
not. It would be so, if all men were willing to be saved 



44 THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. [sER. IV. 

on proper terms, and Paul was confident this would be the 
case with the brethren at Philippi ; but the ground taken 
by some, that wherever God begins a Avork of grace, he is 
sure to carry it on until the day of Jesus Christ, uncondi- 
tionally, and without man's consent, is untenable. If this 
doctrine were true, all men would be certainly saved; for 
we have already proved by the sacred Scriptures, and the 
proof can easily be enlarged, that God begins a good work, 
even the good work of conviction for sin, in the hearts 
of all men. Again, if there is no possibility of resisting 
the operation of the Holy Spirit, why does Paul admonish 
us not to do it? To warn people against an evil that never 
can possibly befall them, is irreconcilable to common sense, 
and much more so to inspiration. But it is certain that 
some have resisted that Spirit, and consequently that others 
may do so. To the law and the testimony — let the living 
oracles decide. Stephen said to the JeAvs, "Ye stiff- 
necked, and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always 
resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." 
Now, let it be recollected, this declaration was made in the 
days of miracles, when, it is supposed by some, the Holy 
Ghost operated more powerfully than he does at present ; 
and if sinners could and did resist him then, as their fathers 
had done before them, how does it follow that sinners 
cannot resist him still ? 

To resist the Spirit, and to quench the Spirit, we sup- 
pose to mean the same thing. The idea of quenching the 
Spirit is taken from the ordinary operation of extinguishing 
fire, which may be done by excluding the air, withholding 
the fuel, or by the application of water. In like manner, 
we destroy the work of the Spirit in our hearts, by smoth- 
ering or suppressing religious feelings and exercises, when 
he moves us to pray, sing, rejoice, exhort or preach; or 
we may destroy it by neglecting the means of grace, which 
will cause the flame of devotion to expire as naturally and 



SER. IV.J THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 45 

as certainly, as the fire will become extinct without adding 
new supplies of fuel ; or we may destroy it more readily 
by indulging in sin, which is to the work of the Spirit, 
what the application of water is to fire; for "the wages 
of sin is death," temporal, spiritual, and eternal. There- 
fore, do not, by any of these means, quench the Spirit, lest 
the vital spark of spiritual life become extinct, and you be 
seized with the cold chill of everlasting death. 

III. We shall conclude the subject with a few practical 
remarks. 

To resist the strivings and operations of the Holy Spirit, 
is extremely hazardous ; it is running the awful risk of 
sealing our own everlasting destruction. There is not 
another agent in the universe, to which we can look with 
confidence, to change our wicked hearts, and create us 
anew in Christ Jesus, but the Holy Ghost; and God 
says, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man." 
Indeed, when we consider the number and character of our 
sins, it is marvelous that his Spirit has not long since, like 
Noah's dove, taken his everlasting flight from us. Should 
we, by persisting in a course of opposition and insult, pro- 
voke him to leave us entirely, our case would be at once 
helpless and desperate for ever. 

But this doctrine of divine influence is very encouraging 
to the humble seeker of salvation. Though he be feeble, 
the Spirit can impart strength to him ; though his heart be 
hard, divine influence can take away the heart of stone, and 
give the heart of flesh ; though it be polluted with sin, it 
may be cleansed by the washing of regeneration and 
renewing of the Holy Ghost; and though his heart con- 
demn him, the Spirit can take the things of Christ and 
show them unto him, and make them his own. 

The doctrine of the operation of the Spirit is consolatory 
to all God's children. He quickens them in their devo- 
tions, enables them to sing with the spirit and with the 



46 RECONCILIATION. [sER. 



■ 



understanding also, to pray with the spirit and with the 
understanding also. Thus God upholds them by his "free 
Spirit," gives them peace in believing, and joy in the Holy 
Ghost, with the earnest of a better inheritance hereafter. 

Finally, the doctrine of the Spirit's operation is highly 
encouraging to the faithful minister of the Gospel. With- 
out this, what would be his hope of success? Sinners are 
spiritually dead, and can the minister quicken them into 
life ? As well might the sculptor speak life into the cold 
marble statue. But the ground of his encouragement is, 
God's Spirit attends his own word. While the preacher 
speaks the truth, as it is in Christ, and with personal faith 
in him, the Holy Spirit speaks to the hearts of the people, 
with a voice that wakes the dead, and causes the dry bones 
to live. If we speak the truth on this subject, may God 
answer for himself, and pour the Spirit of all grace upon 
the people ! Amen. 



SERMON V. 

RE CONCILIATION. 

"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did 
beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled 
to God," 2 Corinthians v, 20. 

It is very generally admitted, that there is a Supreme 
Being, who exercises a moral government over the world; 
that he is a God of wisdom, power, and goodness ; and to 
be consistent, we must allow that to love him supremely, 
and obey him willingly, is the reasonable service of every 
rational and intelligent creature. Is it not strange, there- 
fore, that we should be his enemies, and that the apostle 
and ambassador of Christ should have occasion to exhort 
us to be reconciled to God ? The propriety of this exhor- 
tation or entreaty may appear more obvious as we pro- 
gress in the subject. We purpose to speak, 






SER. V.] RECONCILIATION. 47 

I. Of the want of reconciliation, with which we are 
indirectly charged. 

And to obviate future difficulty, suffer us here to explain, 
that opposition to the will of God, is, virtually, opposition 
to himself; for who rebels against any sovereign, but he 
who refuses submission to his laws ? So in this case. 

There is a want of reconciliation in man to the estab- 
lished order of God, in the system of nature. It is true, 
in this vast system, we see much to admire, and we bestow 
much praise, but do not we indulge in some censure? 
For example, we are glad that the earth rewards the 
husbandman for his toils, yet many would like it better if it 
would bring forth spontaneously, and fill their closets, 
cribs, and barns, without toil or care. " In the sweat of thy 
face, shalt thou eat bread," is an order of God, against 
which many hearts rebel. Again, we love life, sweet, 
precious life, the best temporal gift of Heaven to man ; but 
would not many sinners like it better, if it were longer, 
yea, if it were everlasting ? For the thought of losing it, 
sheds a gloom over all their prospects. And if it be 
objected, that these things are not according to the original 
constitution of nature, this alters not the case for the better ; 
for such are the facts now, and we must take the world as 
we find it, and not as it should be. 

There is a want of reconciliation to God in the order 
of providence. What is providence ? It is the care God 
exercises over his creatures, including their sustenance, 
preservation, corrections, comforts, &c, &c. At present, 
we shall not stop to attend to the objections of those who 
question, either the certainty or universality of that provi- 
dence, but simply inquire, are we reconciled to it? We 
fear only in part. True, we are well pleased with those 
providences which lavish upon us life, health, friends, food, 
raiment, prosperity in business, promotion to office, &c. ; 
but how is it with us under a reverse of fortune, when, 



48 RECONCILIATION. [sER. V. 

instead of those, we have affliction, poverty, blasted pros- 
pects, and sore troubles ? Do we like these as well as the 
others ? We say as well ; for all things that befall us in 
the arrangements of providence, are intended for the same 
great end — the glory of God in our final felicity. All our 
murmurs against our adverse fortunes, are so many proofs 
of the want of reconciliation to God in divine providence. 
Perhaps we should explain before we leave this branch 
of the subject, that Jehovah deals with man in his provi- 
dence, as he does in his grace ; for in both, he restrains 
vice and folly, and promotes virtue and piety, as far as 
practicable, without impairing our free agency, and no 
more ; for to go beyond this, would destroy our accounta- 
bility, and defeat his own plans. 

There is a want of reconciliation to the law of God. By 
law here, we mean the whole revelation of God's will to 
man, as set forth in the Holy Scriptures. To this law the 
sinner is not reconciled, because it is not reconciled to his 
conduct and manner of life. For example, the covetous 
are not reconciled to the law of God, because it demands 
charity ; the fraudulent are not, for it requires justice ; the 
proud are not, for it teaches humility; the dissipated are 
not, for it imposes temperance ; the unclean are not, for it 
enjoins chastity. And in a word, when we have found 
vice in a thousand forms, we shall have a thousand wit- 
nesses that sinners are irreconciled to God's law, because 
it is opposed to their conduct ; and this is necessary, that 
they may know themselves ; " for by the law is the knowl- 
edge of sin." 

As we are not reconciled to God, and that irreconcilia- 
tion is owing to our depravity and rebellion, it may be 
fairly inferred, that he is not reconciled to us. And what 
is here only inferred, is elsewhere plainly declared; for 
while it is said on one hand, "The carnal mind is enmity 
against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither 



SER. V.] RECONCILIATION. 49 

indeed can be," (and of course it must be destroyed in 
order to peace,) it is also written on the other hand, " God 
is angry with the wicked every day." How then can 
these two parties be brought together ? To find an answer 
to this question, brings us to speak, 

II. Of the means of reconciliation. 

The atonement is the most essential as the foundation 
of all others. "The wages of sin is death," and "the 
soul that sinneth shall die," are laws enacted in view of the 
nature of God, and the fitness of things ; and, conse- 
quently, can neither be changed, nor violated with im- 
punity. Hence, " without the shedding of blood there is no 
remission" or pardon of sin. But the Lord "hath found 
a ransom" for us ; " for he hath made him to be sin (a sin 
offering) for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made 
the righteousness of God in him." And does this holy 
person, offered for sin, possess the essential merit which 
the importance of the case demands? This cannot be 
doubted, seeing his name is Emmanuel ; that is, God with 
us. Nor could any one of less ability perform the work ; 
for any created being, however exalted, is bound to serve 
his Creator with all his noble powers : hence, if Christ 
himself were a finite or delegated Savior, he would owe to 
his author all the service he was able to perform; and, 
therefore, would have nothing left with which to buy 
salvation for man. But, as the Divine law-giver, he 
voluntarily steps forth and offers his human soul and body, 
upon the flaming altar of his divinity, an all-sufficient 
sacrifice for sin. 

And this view of the subject appears to be essential to 
his office as mediator ; for what is a mediator ? One who 
acts as a peace-maker between two parties. Hence, "a 
mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one" party, 
and we another; "for there is one God, and one mediator 
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus ; who gave 

5 



50 RECONCILIATION. [sER. V 

himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 
Anciently, it pertained to the office of mediation to recon- 
cile differences ; and the manner was to bring the contend- 
ing parties to a convenient distance asunder, when the 
mediator stepped between them, laid one hand on each, 
and proceeded to make propositions of peace. To this 
custom, there is an allusion in the book of Job, where it is 
said, "Neither is there any daysman between us, that he 
might lay his hand upon us both." But we would ask, 
who shall, or who can, act as a daysman between offended 
Jehovah and rebel man? A man? His arm is too feeble 
to reach heaven. An angel? His arm is too short to 
reach earth. Who then? None but the Lord Jesus 
Christ, the God-man Mediator; he, suspended between the 
heavens and the earth, with the right hand of his divinity, 
lays hold on the eternal throne, with the left hand of his 
humanity, grasps a sinking world; and by an exertion 
of those arms, which are nerved with omnipotence, brings 
heaven and earth, God and man, together. For " God was 
in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, (of course him- 
self to the world,) not imputing their trespasses unto them ; 
and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." 

The ministry of his own appointing is one of the 
means of reconciliation. When Christ tabernacled on 
earth, he preached his own everlasting Gospel, and before 
he ascended to heaven, he appointed men to labor in the 
ministry of the word, who, in our text, are called ambas- 
sadors; which term, among statesmen, designates persons 
sent by public authority, to transact business with some 
foreign power; but here it means persons sent by the 
Lord Jesus Christ to offer, from himself, terms of recon- 
ciliation and peace to fallen man. Their commission is in 
these words : " And he said unto them, Go ye into all the 
world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that 



SER. V.] RECONCILIATION. 51 

believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that 
believeth not, shall be damned." 

But how shall we distinguish the ambassadors of Christ 
from mere pretenders to that character ? The rule is plain 
and easily applied, "By their fruits ye shall know them;" 
namely, the fruits of holiness, indicating a thorough change 
of heart, and the fruits of their ministry, or multiplied con- 
verts from sin to newness of life, as the seals of a true and 
living ministry. It is not to be presumed, that Christ 
sends any on this embassy but his own loyal subjects, 
constituted such by genuine conversion, and the Spirit 
of adoption. From among these, his own disciples, some 
are "chosen vessels" to preach the unsearchable riches 
of Christ to the whole world ; and these the Holy Ghost 
hath made overseers to feed the Church of God, which he 
hath purchased with his own blood. Those whom God 
converts and sends out as instruments to convert others, 
and those only, are the authorized ambassadors of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. We know that some pretended ministers 
of the Gospel, deny the doctrine of special calls to the 
work of the ministry, as they do that of the operation of the 
Spirit, altogether, and contend that any person has a right to 
preach who chooses to do so ; they frankly concede, that 
they have not been baptized by the Holy Ghost, or moved 
by him to preach ; and, of course, according to their own 
showing, they are neither converted, nor commissioned as 
ambassadors of Christ, but are intruders into the sacred 
office, teaching the way to heaven before they have learned 
it themselves. It is certainly a very singular delusion, 
under the influence of which, men can set up a claim to 
the office of Christ's ambassadors, and at the same time 
acknowledge that he never sent them. To their own 
master they stand or fall, and there we leave them, and 
their notions of self-created authority to preach and 
administer the ordinances of Christ. 



52 RECONCILIATION. [j3ER. V. 

Whatever we may lack beside — and it is to be regretted 
that we are so deficient — if we would be " able ministers 
of the New Testament," we must be "indued with power 
from on high;" so that, like Paul's, our speech and our 
preaching may not be " with enticing words of man's wis- 
dom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power : that 
your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in 
the power of God." Such a ministry must be more or less 
successful, causing the hearer to feel that the Gospel is 
"the power of God unto salvation to every one that 
believeth ;" and, therefore, that he is not at liberty to reject 
the message which God sends him, merely because he does 
not admire the messenger who bears it. Hence, the dignity 
and authority of the sacred office of the ministry, inso- 
much, that when Christ sent out the twelve apostles, he 
said unto them, " He that receiveth you, receiveth me ; and 
he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me." And 
when he sent out the seventy disciples, he said unto them, 
"He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth 
you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth 
him that sent me." 

On this subject, we wish to be understood, not as claim- 
ing those miraculous powers of healing, &c, which per- 
tained to the apostles: all we contend for is, that every 
true minister of the Gospel is moved by the Holy Spirit 
to that work, and that he cannot decline it with impunity ; 
and that for the same reason, namely, because God has 
sent him, the people cannot reject his message without 
increased condemnation. Hence, Paul said to the Corin- 
thians, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth 
us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor 
of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto 
God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in 
them that perish : to the one we are the savor of death unto 
death ; and to the other the savor of life unto life ? And 



SER. V.] RECONCILIATION. 53 

who is sufficient for these things ?" This is dignity enough 
for us, and far more than we feel worthy to bear. The 
office of the Christian ministry needs no human inventions, 
no costly robes, no glittering mitres, or imposing cere- 
monies to recommend it, much less does it need any of 
those assumed prerogatives, not secured to it in the Gospel 
charter. For ourselves, as a body of Christian ministers, 
we utterly disclaim all pretension to what Papists and High 
Churchmen call the divine succession, and with it we dis- 
claim all Popish infallibility, and all that high-toned priestly 
authority which lords it over God's heritage, or interferes 
with the rights of conscience ; but we do humbly claim to 
be men whom God has called, commissioned and sent to 
preach his everlasting Gospel; and if any doubt this, we 
refer them to the thousands of sinners who have been 
reformed and saved through our instrumentality. These 
are our epistles of commendation, known and read of all 
men. "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as 
though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in 
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 

For your encouragement and consolation, we remark, in 
the next place, so far as the atonement of Christ and the 
pure ministry of his word are rightly received and properly 
used, with their accompanying influences, of which we 
cannot now speak particularly, so far they will effect the 
desired reconciliation, being mixed with faith in them that 
hear. Hence, the degrees of reconciliation. The impeni- 
tent and unbelieving are not reconciled in any sense, save 
that of being redeemed from the curse of the law to a state of 
offered mercy and possible salvation, which they can obtain 
only on condition of repentance and faith. True penitents, 
who are striving for the faith of Christ, are so far recon- 
ciled as to acknowledge themselves in fault, and desire 
conditions of peace. They know that the law is spiritual, 
but they are carnal, sold under sin, and cannot be justified 

5* 



54 RECONCILIATION. [sER. V. 

by the deeds of the law. A soul in this condition may 
well say, " wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver 
me from the body of* this death 1 I thank God, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord." Now, there may be some relief 
to a soul in this, condition, arising from the hope of pardon ; 
and it is certain that a sincere resolution to reform, attended 
with humble and hearty confession of sin, affords some 
degree of consolation ; but let no one deceive himself, by 
supposing this temporary and superficial comfort is evi- 
dence of a thorough and saving change of heart. 

The justified, or those who are pardoned through faith 
in Christ, and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, are recon- 
ciled in a more important sense ; they are admitted to the 
divine favor, relieved of their guilty fears, and "have peace 
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." The apostle 
of the Gentiles, alluding to his state as it was before he 
experienced this change, complained of captivity, bondage, 
wretchedness, a burden called the body of death, and help- 
lessness under all this distress of mind ; but widely different 
is his language when speaking of his happy deliverance 
from that state, "There is therefore now no condemnation 
to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the 
flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life 
in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and 
death." When a man has long felt prejudice in his heart 
against his neighbor, treating him as an enemy, but subse- 
quently becomes satisfied the fault was his own, and effects 
a permanent reconciliation on proper terms, his mind is 
relieved of a burden, and he feels light and joyful; but 
what is this compared with reconciliation to God, attended 
with peace and joy in the Holy Ghost? It is the peace 
of God which passeth understanding; it is joy unspeakable 
and full of glory. 

Still, it is proper to add, before we pass to the last 
division of the subject, there is a more permanent and 



SER. V.] RECONCILIATION. 55 

perfect state of reconciliation offered to the sincere and 
persevering believer, of which we have not spoken. We 
refer now to the privilege of those who attain the blessing 
called, in the sacred Scriptures, sanctification. The happi- 
ness of the justified is great at times, yet their peace is 
occasionally broken, and their rejoicing frequently followed 
by seasons of darkness; and so it will continue with us, 
until the carnal mind is destroyed, the old man crucified 
with the affections and lusts, and our own wills are brought 
wholly into subjection to the will of God, then our peace 
will flow as a river, and our righteousness abound as the 
waves of the sea: wherefore, "let us go on unto perfec- 
tion." It is the privilege and duty of every child of God to 
do so, not by the works of the law, but by faith in the 
blood of Christ, which " cleanseth us from all sin;" and 
when once saved from inbred sin, and "filled with all the 
fullness of God," we shall be fully reconciled to his will in 
all things, and consequently enabled to "rejoice evermore," 
and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall 
keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. We 
shall now proceed, briefly, to notice, 

III. Some of the motives to this reconciliation. 

It would be an easy task to show, that every attribute 
of the Supreme Being operates as a strong argument and 
powerful motive to be reconciled to him ; for while, on one 
hand, his goodness leadeth to repentance, on the other it is 
a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living G od. But 
the consideration now to be chiefly insisted on, is, that 
of his great condescension, as brought to view in the text, 
wherein he beseeches us to be reconciled to him, and 
stoops to ask our love. Mr. Wesley inquired whether 
this case had any parallel, and showed, satisfactorily, it 
had none. Others have done the same, and we profess no 
new light on the subject. 

Was it ever known that the ruined debtor, being offered 



56 RECONCILIATION. [SER. V. 

a full release by the merciful creditor, especially when the 
law imposes imprisonment for debt, refused to accept 
liberty from his thraldom? Only in the case before us. 
Here the sinner owes "ten thousand talents, and has noth- 
ing to pay" with; the Lord freely offers to forgive him the 
whole debt; he strangely refuses the offer, and that too in 
view of the prison of hell, where he must be confined for 
ever! Was it ever known that a convict, awaiting his 
fearful doom, being offered a reprieve from the sentence 
of the law, still hugged his chains, and courted premature 
death in a violent form ? Only in this instance, where the 
sinner "is condemned already" for sin and unbelief; while 
on his way to execution, the Governor of the universe 
tenders him a present, full and free pardon, and even con- 
descends to plead with him not to refuse his gracious offer, 
yet he stubbornly rejects the whole, and heedlessly rushes 
on to endless destruction! But some, yes, blessed be God, 
many are yielding to the sceptre of mercy, passing joyfully 
from the death and bondage of sin, into the life and liberty 
of his children. May others be encouraged to follow their 
example, till the kingdom of darkness shall be demolished, 
and the kingdom of Jesus shall prevail in all hearts, and 
over all lands ! 

Finally, we cannot, innocently, close our remarks on 
this subject, without a warning and exhortation to those 
who still refuse to be reconciled to our heavenly Father. 
Are any such here to-day, and do ye still persist in your 
most unrighteous opposition to the will of God? We warn 
you, in view of your own misery and helplessness, of your 
danger — we warn you by the number of your sins, and the 
aggravating circumstances under which they were com- 
mitted — by the troubles of a guilty conscience, and the 
threatenings of God's violated law — by the horrors of a 
sinner's death-bed scene, and the terrors of the general 
judgment — by the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is 



SER. VI.] REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION. 57 

not quenched, to flee the wrath to come, while it is yet to 
come. But we cannot leave you yet, until we once more 
entreat you to accept the offer of mercy. We exhort you 
by the treasures that heaven has expended for our redemp- 
tion, and the compassion which God has shown for man, 
rebel man — by the sweat and tears, and blood and agony 
of Christ for sinners, and by his still continued intercession 
in their behalf — by the strivings of the Holy Spirit, which 
you this moment feel — by the joys which religion imparts, 
and the dignity which she confers — by the fellowship of 
saints, and the ties of love — by the triumphs of dying 
Christians, and the glories of the first resurrection — by the 
approbation of the Judge of all the earth, and the undying 
pleasures of a blissful immortality, now to accept the offers 
of life and salvation. We do more than exhort, "As 
though God did beseech you by us : we pray you in 
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 



SERMON VI. 

REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION. 

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be 
blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence 
of the Lord," Acts iii, 19. 

This exhortation was given by Peter to a large congre- 
gation of people, under circumstances of peculiar interest. 
Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour 
of prayer, being the ninth hour; and as they passed the 
gate called Beautiful, they saw a man who had been lame 
in his ankles from his birth, placed there to beg alms of the 
people : he set up the usual claim of charity upon the apos- 
tles. Peter said, "Look onus;" and seeing his attention 
was fixed, observed, "Silver and gold have I none; but 
such as I have, give I unto thee: in the name of Jesus 
Christ rise up and walk." At first he seemed to hesitate, 



58 REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION.- [sER. VI. 

but Peter took him by the hand and helped him, "and 
immediately his feet and ankle-bones received strength," 
so that he stood, walked, leaped, and praised God. He 
went on with them to the temple, and the people saw him 
and were amazed. This produced what might be expected 
in such a case — the people came running from every direc- 
tion to see him, "greatly wondering." Presently Peter 
saw that they were mistaken respecting the cause of the 
change effected on the impotent man, and said, "Why 
look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power 
or holiness we had made this man to walk?" He then 
referred them to the Son of God, saying, "His name, 
through faith in his name, hath made this man strong, 
whom ye see and know ;" and taking this position for the 
ground of his discourse, he delivered the exhortation con- 
tained in the text, which is a very plain and common sub- 
ject, but no less important on that account. Our plan will 
be to speak, 

I. Of repentance. 

II. Of conversion. 

III. Of the benefits of both. 

I. Repentance, is that godly sorrow which produces 
reformation, and implies several particulars ; one of which, 
and the first in order, is, conviction of sin; that is, a heart- 
felt sense of guilt and of our lost estate, such a sense as is 
produced by the Holy Spirit only, and by him is produced 
in the hearts of all men; for, said Christ, "he shall reprove 
the world (convince all people) of sin." And, accordingly, 
Paul saith, "The grace of God, that bringeth salvation, 
hath appeared to all men, teaching us," &c. : wherefore, all 
are convinced, and, of course, left without excuse, if they 
repent not; for "God now commandeth all men every- 
where to repent." If it be objected, we cannot repent 
of ourselves without divine aid, we answer, this is not 
required; for, beside the universal light we have already 






SER. VI.] REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION. 59 

alluded to, it was said by the apostles in their defense 
before the council, "The God of our fathers raised up 
Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree : him hath God 
exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for 
to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." The 
gift of repentance bestowed on us, through the mediation 
and intercession of Jesus, includes not only the blessed 
privilege of repenting, but also the grace of repentance. 

Sorrow for sin, is the next thing implied in repentance. 
And here it is proper to guard against error, by observing, 
it is not every kind of sorrow that constitutes evangelical 
repentance ; as there is a genuine coin, and a counterfeit 
money, so there is a true and a false repentance, as Paul 
clearly sets forth to the Corinthians in these words: "For 
godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be 
repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." 
Godly sorrow is of grace, and humbles us under a sense 
of our sinfulness before the Lord, under an overwhelming 
sense of our ingratitude, folly, presumption, and wicked- 
ness, in rebelling against the purest love, the highest 
authority, and the most condescending mercy of God : but 
the sorrow of the world is selfish, causing us to feel 
afflicted, not because we have offended God, but injured 
ourselves. Such is the repentance of the speculator, when 
he has made a bad bargain, and of the drunkard, when he 
has destroyed his property, health, family, and reputation; 
he is very sorry for himself, but not for his sins before 
God: and perhaps this sorrow of the world may also 
include unreasonable grief at the loss of friends, &c, in 
those who have no proper views of the providence of God 
in their affairs. Now, the effects of these two principles 
are materially different: the former affects us with reference 
to our obligation to God, and our eternal interest ; the latter 
affects us with reference to ourselves, and our temporal 



60 REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION. [SER. VI. 

affairs. Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation; 
but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 

It appears, from the examples recorded in the Bible, that 
evangelical repentance is powerful in its operation; so it 
was with David, when the sorrows of death compassed 
him, and the pains of hell gat hold of him — with Job, 
who said, " God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty 
troubleth me" — with the publican, when he cried, "God 
be merciful to me a sinner" — so of Saul, the jailer, and all 
who are pierced with the sword of the Spirit. 

The next thing implied in repentance is, confession of 
sin. This is sometimes to be made both to God and man ; 
namely, when the crime is of such a nature, as not only 
violates God's law, but wounds the brethren, then we must 
confess to God to receive pardon, and to man that we may 
heal the wounded spirit; according to St. James' rule, 
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for 
another, that ye may be healed." But, suppose the offense 
to be committed against God only, then to him only it is to 
be confessed, and to him it must be confessed, if we would 
obtain absolution; for Solomon said, "He that covereth 
his sins shall not prosper : but whoso confesseth and for- 
saketh them shall have mercy." Wherefore, we recom- 
mend it as a good plan to go into the closet, chamber, 
forest, or other suitable place in secret, and on our knees, 
where no mortal ear can hear, nor mortal eye can see us, 
call to our minds the most aggravating circumstances of our 
lives, confess them to God one at a time ; and then, lest we 
should have forgotten some, confess, in the aggregate, our 
public faults and secret crimes — the follies of our youth, 
and the sins of our riper }^ears ; and while we confess, let us 
expect, through Christ, a present, free, and full salvation 
from them all. 

Reformation from sin, is the last thing implied in 
repentance. This is the most essential to our happiness, 



SER. VI.] REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION. 61 

and yet the most fearful to our hearts. To preach repen- 
tance is easy enough till we come to this point, and then 
we often fail. But if we fail here, we fail altogether. No 
matter how much we are convicted, how much we sorrow 
for sin, nor how much we confess, if we do not forsake 
sin, all the rest will go for nothing. And to forsake our 
more scandalous sins will not be difficult, nor will it be 
sufficient: we must give up all sins, right hand sins and 
right eye sins ; namely, sins as convenient as right hands, 
and near our hearts as right eyes, must be all abandoned. 
"These are hard sayings, who can bear them?" Yet bear 
them we must, and obey them too, or else bear the 
ponderous load of divine wrath; for "except ye repent ye 
shall all likewise perish," is the stern decree of your Judge 
and mine; and such repentance will lead to conversion. 
However, some say that repentance does not lead to 
conversion — so far from it, that no one ever repents till he 
is first converted; that repentance is not the condition, 
but the effect of pardon ; and so of faith. But where is this 
written? Paul said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ 
and thou shalt be saved:" not be saved and thou shalt 
believe. Again, in the text, "Repent and be converted:" 
not be converted and repent; for this would derange the 
whole system of man's salvation, contradict the Scriptures, 
and erect a false ground of hope for the penitent. We 
come to notice, 

II. Conversion; that is, a divine change of heart. The 
necessity of this must appear to those who think on the 
subject only a little. Felicity is desired by all, but how 
can we be happy without some qualification for happiness ? 
Some say, after all that has been said on the subject, we 
hope that all the people will get to heaven. And, suppose 
they should, what better will they be for that? Will 
heaven make people happy, while unfit for the place? 
Would the ragged beggar feel any better by being in a 



62 REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION. [sER. VI. 

splendid palace, and in the presence of a king, or would it 
add to his shame and confusion? Yet the sinner would 
make a far worse appearance in heaven, before his awful 
Judge, than the beggar would in a palace ; for there all his 
imperfections and abominations would be exposed in the 
light of eternity. And the consciousness he now feels 
of his guilt, makes him dread the immediate presence 
of God, as the disobedient servant does that of his master. 
An impenitent sinner has no relish for spiritual exercises ; 
hence, the conversation of lively Christians, about Christ 
and his love, is irksome to him — he has no heart to sing the 
songs of Zion — no relish for prayer — the Sabbath to him is 
the most tiresome day, and shouting the praises of God 
offends him; how then could he enjoy himself in heaven, 
where it is always Sabbath, and where the constant 
employment of the people is to sing and rejoice for ever? 
Heaven, to him, would be the most lonesome place, if not 
the sorest hell in the universe. So much on the subject, to 
show how reasonable is the doctrine of regeneration, and 
how necessary is conversion to fit us for heaven and 
happiness. 

If conversion be so essential, that we cannot be happy 
without it here or hereafter, pray tell us how we may "be 
converted?" Examine the Bible and it will inform you 
all in a few words : " Son, give me thy heart," is the sum 
and substance of the whole matter. And simple as it 
appears to be, it implies much, and requires much grace to 
perform. When the sinner first feels conviction, his usual 
course is to resolve not to be as bad as he has been ; but, as 
yet, he has no intention to pray. Next, finding himself 
helpless, he consents to pray, but is determined to keep it 
to himself; and while occupying this ground, he must be 
"double-minded" and deceitful; for secretly he resolves 
upon reformation, but when with his companions in folly, 
he must do as they do, arid as he formerly did, or else the 



SER. VI.] REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION. 63 

secret will get out that he is turning religious ; so he prays 
a little and omits prayer much, repents a little and sins a 
great deal, makes one step toward heaven and two back to 
hell. After becoming more impressed, he is willing to be 
more open in his pretensions, and no longer tries to conceal 
his griefs ; yet there is much self-will in his heart, by which 
he is led to choose the means and the modes of his salva- 
tion : hence he has his favorite messenger of grace, who is 
to be the instrument of his conversion ; the kind of meeting 
at which he is to receive the blessing ; perhaps the time and 
place of his adoption, and the evidences by which the Lord 
is to make it known to him ; all of which show, that though 
he is in some sense willing to be saved, he is not yet wil- 
ling to be saved in God's way. Suffer us to say, there is a 
point to which every man must come in order to conver- 
sion — namely, to make a full and unreserved surrender 
of his whole heart to God — willing to be saved at any time 
or place, under any circumstances, and by the instrumen- 
tality of any person — in a word, to say, 

"Here Lord, I give myself away, 
'Tis all that I can do ;" 

and he will prove it is all that God requires. He saith, " I 
will be found of thee, if thou wilt seek me with the whole 
heart," but not without; for he is a jealous God, requires 
the whole heart, and will have no less. Then to let go 
every hold, and fall without reserve into the arms of mercy, 
trusting in Christ as the only and all-sufficient Savior, is the 
point to which the most moral man must come ; and beyond 
which, the most wicked need not go to find salvation. 

If we thus come to Christ and get converted, how shall 
we know it? By an inward consciousness arising from 
a divine influence, commonly called the witness of the 
Spirit — a doctrine clearly taught in the Scriptures. John 
said, "He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the wit- 
ness in himself;" and Paul said, "The Spirit itself beareth 



64 REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION. [SER. VI. 

witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." 
Now, if men would take these rules upon the subject, and 
leave "the tradition of the elders" where they mid them, 
Christian experience would be as plain as any other 
matter. But many deluded souls go to the priest for 
pardon and the evidence of it; while some, instead of look- 
ing for this witness in their hearts, set out to read whole 
volumes, comparing their lives therewith, to ascertain 
whether they have a hope or not. Others present them- 
selves before a whole Church, state the case, and let them 
determine the matter by vote. Another class of disciples 
come before a session of elders, to converse respecting the 
state of their hope, and see how the case stands ; while 
many individuals have a fashion of dreaming themselves 
into religion. Thus, in the visions of the night, they 
imagine that they fight with beasts and conquer them ; or 
are pursued by serpents and escape them ; or are chased 
by savages and cross the river, without losing their scalps ; 
all of which, by their superstitious neighbors, are construed 
into probable evidences of conversion. Such testimony 
may serve to natter the consciences of carnal professors, 
but never can impart "the knowledge of God in the remis- 
sion of sin;" and, consequently, can never afford real 
peace of mind. And, moreover, if ever you get converted, 
you will be the first person on earth that will know it. 
Before you have time to consult Churches, books, minis- 
ters, or friends, you will feel the sacred fire of love 
kindling on the altar of your own soul, and breaking out 
in hosannas to the Son of God. So men repent, get 
converted, and come to the knowledge of it. Let us now 
notice, 

III. The benefits of both. They cause our sins to be 
canceled: " that your sins may be blotted out." This is a 
figure taken from the business of commerce. A man may 
have a bill of many items ' charged against him, but when 



SER. VI.] REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION. 65 

he makes proper adjustment of it, the clerk with one dash 
of his pen strikes out the whole, and he stands acquitted 
of all. In like manner, the sinner stands charged with 
" ten thousand talents," but when he repents and believes, 
they are "blotted out," and he is freely justified from all 
things. Now, is not this very desirable? Who among 
us would like to have all our sins exposed, even to this 
congregation? And yet, if we repent not, they must be 
exposed to an assembled world. Nor is there any way to 
avoid it but one, that is, to "repent and be converted, that 
your sins may be blotted out;" then shall they never rise 
up to shame us here or confound us in the world to come. 

Another advantage is spiritual enjoyment — " when the 
times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the 
Lord." Here is a figure drawn from the operations of 
nature : the influences of the Spirit are often compared to 
rain, dew, &c. Declensions in religion are spiritual 
dearths, and revivals are showers, or times of refreshing 
from the presence of the Lord. These are now frequent 
and extensive; and, of course, a subject of general conver- 
sation. O, says one, that we had a revival of religion here ! 
And do we really want a revival on the Lord's terms? 
Then we can have it. But some want a revival as others 
do rain, viz., after their business is done, or their journey 
ends, and they are at leisure ; or without wind, lest it break 
down the corn, and without hail, for fear it spoil the tender 
plants : however, when vegetation begins to die, rivers fail, 
and the earth to split open, they will become willing for it 
to rain any way. The application is easy. Some want a 
revival, if they can have it in their own style. There must 
be no deep sighs, heavy groans, loud songs, fervent pray- 
ers, awful sermons, rousing exhortations ; and, above all, 
there must be no shouting, for this is confusion. But if we 
felt the want of a revival as we should do, we would be 
willing for God to send it in his own way. If he "come 

6* 



66 OBEDIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. [SER. VII. 

in the sweet still voice, "let him come: if "in the fire," let 
him come: if "in the whirlwind," let him come: if "in 
the thunder-storm," let him come: and if "in the earth- 
quake," let him come : come to us — come in his own way, 
and come now. If this were our united prayer in faith and 
sincerity, we would have a revival here — have it now, 
before we leave the house — have it in our own souls, take 
it into our families, spread it through the neighborhood. 
O that the God of Israel would let his cloud of mercy roll 
this way, and give us a time of refreshing from his pres- 
ence. To him be glory now and for ever ! Amen. 



SERMON VII. 



THE WILL, OBEDIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. 

"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life," 
Revelation ii, 10. 

After the ascension of our Lord, his disciples proceeded 
to execute the commission he had given them to evangelize 
the world. Persecution arose, and John, "for the word 
of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ," was exiled 
to Patrnos. Here, though cut off from the society of his 
friends, he enjoyed intercourse with his God; for while 
"in the Spirit on the Lord's day," Jesus met him, and 
delivered to him certain things to write to the seven 
Churches in Asia. In this communication, our Savior 
bestows honor where it is due, and censure where it 
belongs. 

Our text is a part of the address to the Church at 
Smyrna, which begins thus : " And unto the angel," 
messenger or minister, "of the Church in Smyrna, write; 
These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, 
and is alive," the Lord Jesus. "I know thy works" of 
righteousness, "and tribulation" of mind, " and poverty" 
in worldly goods, ("but thou art rich" in faith and love,) 






SER. VII.] OBEDIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. 67 

" and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are 
Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan," ene- 
mies to the truth. " Fear none of those things which thou 
shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into 
prison," not himself, but will employ some persecuting 
ruler to do it for him, " that ye may be tried" before some 
earthly tribunal, and thereby have a full trial of your faith, 
sincerity and patience before God; "and ye shall have 
tribulation ten days"-— in the prophetic sense, for ten years. 
But what of all this ? " Be thou faithful unto death, and I 
will give thee a crown of life;" for no sooner shall the 
executioner have severed thy head from its trunk, than I 
will adorn it with an unfading crown. Such is the primary 
meaning of the text; yet "no Scripture is of any private 
interpretation," but "was written for our learning also, that 
we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might 
have hope ;" consequently, it may be properly, in a general 
sense, applied to every child of God. Our plan is to show, 

I. These words imply liberty of choice, or freedom of 
the will. 

The words of the text address us with conditions and 
motives, which are suitable only for beings who possess 
will, or a self-determining principle. Suppose a man 
should make a watch, and then say to it, if thou wilt 
measure .time correctly for ten years, I will place thee in 
the Philadelphia Museum to enjoy both rest and honor; 
but if thou wilt not, then I will hurl thee into the fire. 
What propriety would there be in such an address ? Just 
as much as in the one before us, if man be a creature who 
can act only as he is acted upon. Again, some allow the 
will to be as free as a pair of scales ; as the heavier weight 
will certainly and necessarily produce a preponderance in 
the scale, so the stronger motive certainly and necessarily 
influences the will in its favor. We allow that the stronger 
motive ought to prevail with rational beings. But does it 



68 OBEDIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. [SER. VII. 

prevail in all cases ? Daily experience and observation say 
not. What are the motives for and against intemperance ? 
The present indulgence of an appetite merely animal, and 
a train of appalling miseries on one side ; and health, pros- 
perous business, a happy family, confidence of friends, 
peace of mind, and future good on the other ; yet, in many 
cases, men reject the stronger, and yield to the weaker 
motives. Again, the sinner is presented with heaven, by 
promise, on condition of a life of faith and obedience, and 
with hell, on condition of a life of unbelief, rebellion, and 
misery; yet in a large number of cases, he " chooses death 
in the error of his ways." Now, while such facts remain, 
we shall believe that man has a will or power of self- 
determination that can act, not only against the stronger, 
but even against the strongest motives. 

At the same time this action is limited to our own sphere. 
Were we to choose to make a world, stop the ebbing and 
flowing of the sea, or arrest the planets in their regular 
course, we could not; for these are works of God, and not 
of man. But whatever comes within man's sphere of 
operation, he is free to do or not to do, to choose or refuse. 
Thus, man is naturally free respecting the avocations of life, 
to choose one and reject another; and he is morally free 
in view of a universal divine influence, producing a sense 
of right and wrong, to lead a life of morality, or abandon 
himself to a course of out-breaking wickedness. Or if it 
be not so, why have laws been enacted to punish the 
guilty ? Is a man accountable for what he cannot possibly 
avoid? If "God hath freely and unchangeably foreor- 
dained whatsoever comes to pass," then all things are right, 
for God does nothing wrong; but if so, why confine the 
felon, or hang the assassin ? But who compels to Sabbath- 
breaking, profanity, drunkenness, gambling, or robbery? 
Certainly in all such cases men are free agents; and, of 
course, must take the consequences with them. Man is 



SER. VII.] OBEDIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. 69 

graciously free to choose the salvation of his soul and live, 
or reject it and perish. We say graciously free, because 
he is not naturally so since the fall. By reading the Holy 
Scriptures, we shall see that what no man has by nature, 
all have by grace — power to choose and accept life. "For 
when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ 
died for the ungodly," Romans v, 6. "For the grace 
of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 
teaching us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, 
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this 
present world," Titus ii, 11, 12. And this doctrine, while 
calculated to humble all men under a sense of their depen- 
dence, leaves them all without excuse, as Christ said, "Ye 
will not come -to me, that ye might have life." 

Nor is our will destroyed, or in any wise impaired, by 
conversion, though it learns us obedience to Christ. Some 
think we are all free to come to Christ and be saved if we 
will; but when saved, our freedom is lost, and we are 
compelled to go to heaven whether we will or not. But 
vain is the attempt to blend conditional salvation and uncon- 
ditional perseverance in the same creed. And they are 
consistent with themselves who say, " this perseverance 
of the saints depends upon the immutability of the decree 
of election :" we say consistent with themselves, but not 
with the Scriptures; for "by faith we stand." Paul 
teaches that a life of sin is a state of bondage, and a life 
of grace is a state of freedom; "For the law of the Spirit 
of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law 
of sin and death." But where does he teach that regenera- 
tion destroys volition ? We find not. 

II. These words enjoin obedience — "Be thou faithful." 

This implies that there has been an act of submission to 

the authority of Christ ; that we have taken his yoke upon 

us, and we must now show our loj^alty by a course of 

obedience ; every one according to his several ability, and 



70 OBEDIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. [sER. VII. 

the place he fills, keeping in view the words of Jesus, " Ye 
are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you," and 
will be treated accordingly, as he assures us in these words : 
"And behold, I come quickly ; and my reward is with me, 
to give every man according as his work shall be." 

III. They impose perseverance. 

To persevere, is to continue in any pursuit or under- 
taking; and in matters of religion, perseverance is "con- 
tinuance in well doing." In this sense, Paul used the 
term in his exhortation to the Ephesians, when he said, 
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the 
Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and 
supplication for all saints." It has often been asked, 
whether we, as a people, hold to the perseverance of the 
saints? Certainly we do; for Ave think men should not 
only begin to serve God, but continue to serve him — not 
only get in the way to heaven, but follow it to the end, or 
"be faithful unto death;" and this is Bible preseverance. 
But says one, are you not, as a people, in favor of falling 
from grace ? Not at all ; so far from it, we think it exceed- 
ingly wrong to fall. We, indeed, believe in the possibility 
of many things that are wrong, and falling from grace is 
one of them. Our belief on these points may be briefly 
summed up thus : It is the privilege of every child of God 
to persevere to the end. It is his duty so to do ; and if he 
do not, he will fall from grace, lose the divine favor, and 
become exposed to everlasting ruin. 

To this it is objected, the ground taken is too strong; for 
though the saints may indeed commit sin, get back into the 
world, lose their comfort, and be beaten with many stripes, 
yet the Lord will not let them die in such a state of apos- 
tasy, but will certainly bring them in at the last. It may 
be answered, if this be true, the man who would live for 
ever, has only to become a backslider and so remain, and 
the Lord will never let him die. But where is it written 



SER. VII.] OBEDIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. 71 

that apostasy is a certain remedy against death? Surely 
not in the Bible. 

Again, it is objected, "It makes God a changeable being. 
He loves his child, and afterwards loves him not." We 
do not perceive the force of the argument ; but we will give 
you another as good. Here then is a sinner, and the Lord 
is said to be angry with him; but he repents, believes, and 
gets converted, and the Lord is said to love him. Has the 
Lord changed ? No, verily, but the man has changed ; so 
in the other case. 

"But how will you withstand the Scriptures?" says 
another. We do not intend to oppose them, or evade their 
force. When explained in their proper connection, they 
will all be found to harmonize with the doctrine now 
advanced. 

Let us notice some texts which are supposed to teach 
the infallible perseverance of the saints. "Mary hath 
chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away 
from her," Luke x, 42. This teaches that no power of 
men or demons can, by violence, deprive the Christian 
of his interest in Christ; but does it follow that he may not 
voluntarily part with it ? Look at that old soldier ! The 
government has given him a section of land, with a patent 
under the seal of the President ; who shall take it from him ? 
Not all the intrigues of litigants, nor sophistry of men, 
without his own consent ; yet he may go to a tippling-shop, 
or gaming-house, and waste it all "with riotous living." 
In like manner, we are safe against all power while we 
trust in the Redeemer; but when we leave him for any 
consideration, we are deprived of our all. And Paul's 
persuasion (Romans viii, 38, 39) is of a piece with Mary's 
choice ; for though no enemy could separate him from the 
love of God in Christ Jesus, yet he knew he could separate 
himself: hence, he says, " But I keep under my body, and 
bring it into subjection: lest that by any means when I 



72 OBEDIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. [sER. VII. 

have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away," 
1 Corinthians ix, 27. Again, " My sheep hear my voice, 
and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto 
them eternal life ; and they shall never perish, neither shall 
any pluck them out of my hand," John x, 27, 28. Take 
this text in its proper connection, and it is good testimony 
on our side of the question. " Then came the Jews round 
about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make 
us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly, (v. 24.) 
Jesus answered them, I told you, but ye believed me not, 
because ye are not of my sheep, (v. 25, 26,) as I said unto 
you." "My sheep" are such as "hear my voice," in the 
Gospel, " and I know them," to be obedient, " and they 
follow me," in all my ordinances. And to these three 
characteristics he makes three promises: 1. "I give unto 
them eternal life :" not I have given, or will give, but in 
the present tense. I give, namely, as long as they hear my 
voice, so long I give unto them that eternal life which it 
conveys. 2. So long as "I know them" to be obedient, 
"they shall never perish." 3. So long as "they follow 
me," their shepherd, "none shall pluck them out of my 
hand." In other words, these three promises are made to 
Christ's sheep, and while they remain such they have a 
right to claim them ; but if they forfeit that character, with 
it they forfeit the promises appertaining. So far, then, the 
proof of infallible perseverance fails, and when examined it 
will all fail. 

Let us notice some proofs of the possibility of falling 
from grace. Passing, at present, the fall of Adam, the 
drunkenness of Noah, the incest of Lot, the transgressions 
of Saul, David, Solomon, and a host of other testimonies, 
we come to Ezekiel xxxiii, 18: "When the righteous 
turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, 
he shall even die thereby." To say the prophet meant 
self-righteousness, would not be theologically correct; 



SER. VII.] OBEDIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. 73 

for then he would represent the Lord as punishing the self- 
righteous for repenting of self-righteousness : nor logically 
correct; for self-righteousness is iniquity, and then man 
would turn from iniquity to iniquity, which would be 
charging the prophet with folly. 

Let us now proceed to the New Testament, and see 
what Christ and his apostles taught on the subject. "Ye 
are the salt of the earth : but if the salt have lost his savor, 
wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for 
nothing, but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men," 
Matthew v, 13. Here Christ teaches that his disciples, 
who are good salt to the world, may become useless, and 
be thrown away. "When the unclean spirit is gone out 
of a man," of course the man is clean; "he (the unclean 
spirit) walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth 
none. Then he saith, I will return into my house," the 
man's heart, "whence I came out; and when he is come, 
he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished," ready for his 
use. "Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven 
other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in 
and dwell there : and the last state of that man is worse 
than the first," Matthew xii, 43, 44, 45; because, before 
his conversion, he had one devil in him, but after he fell 
from grace, he had eight. Read Matthew xviii, 23-35, too 
long to copy at length — part of it is, " O thou wicked ser- 
vant, I forgave thee all that debt," pardoned all thy sins, 
"because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have 
had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity 
on thee ? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to 
the tormentors," &c. Read Matthew xxiv, 45th to 51st 
verses inclusive: "Who then is a faithful and wise ser- 
vant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to 
give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, 
whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. 
Verily, I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over 

7 



74 OBEDIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. [sER. VII. 

all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his 
heart, My lord delayeth his coming ; and shall begin to 
smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the 
drunken ; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when 
he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware 
of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion 
with the hypocrites : there shall be weeping and gnashing 
of teeth." 

We shall next notice some proofs that persons have fallen 
from grace. Paul said to the Galatians in positive terms, 
" Ye are fallen from grace." Again, he delivered a solemn 
charge to Timothy, to "war a good warfare; holding faith 
and a good conscience ; which some having put away, con- 
cerning faith, have made shipwreck: of whom are Hy- 
meneus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto 
Satan," &c. Here Paul compares faith to a vessel, and 
grace, producing a good conscience, to its lading: but the 
vessel was wrecked — the cargo lost — the crew taken cap- 
tive, and delivered to Satan ; of course they were not his 
before. To enumerate all the plain proofs on this point, 
would make the discourse too long. The following texts 
afford clear testimony of the fact: "But he that lacketh 
these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath for- 
gotten that he was purged from his old sins," 2 Peter i, 9. 
" For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world 
through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus 
Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the 
latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it 
had been better for them not to have known the way of 
righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from 
the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is 
happened unto them according to the true proverb, The 
dog is turned to his own vomit again ; and, The sow that 
was washed, to her wallowing in the mire," 2 Peter ii, 20, 
21, 22. " I will therefore-put you in remembrance, though 



6ER. VII.] OBEDIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. 75 

ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the 
people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them 
that believed not. And the angels which kept not their 
first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved 
in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment 
of the great day," Jude, 5, 6. 

Now, while the Scriptures inform us that the first man, 
made in the image of God, in righteousness and true holi- 
ness, fell; that many Old Testament saints fell ; that Christ 
and his apostles often refer to those facts as examples for 
us to fear ; that the righteous are warned as well as the 
wicked; that many of the first Christians fell, and made 
shipwreck of faith ; and that even angels that kept not their 
first estate, but left their own habitations, are reserved in 
everlasting chains under darkness to the judgment of the 
great day, we shall believe that there is danger of falling as 
long as we are in our probationary state and candidates 
for heaven; and, consequently, shall exhort all saints to 
hold fast and repent, and strengthen the things that remain 
and are ready to perish. Take heed, lest ye fall. Con- 
tinue in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord 
Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 

This perseverance is to be parallel with life "unto 
death," which may be far nearer than we are aware of. 
While vexing our souls with the thought that we cannot 
hold out so long, and through so many difficulties, the 
Lord may send for us. Then, if ready, our discharge will 
be honorable. We shall be transferred to the Church 
triumphant, and crowned with endless bliss, where all the 
pious and persevering of God's people, will meet to live in 
one city— -abide in one house — have one Father — eat at one 
table, and sing one song — the song of glory to God and 
the Lamb for ever. Amen. 



76 TRIBULATION. [SER. VIII. 

SERMON VIII. 

TRIBULATION THE WAY TO THE KINGDOM. 
DISCOURSE I. 

" And that we must through much tribulation enter into the king- 
dom of God," Acts xiv, 22. 

There is no condition in life, from the cottage to the 
palace, exempt from affliction and trial. Men of every 
class and every calling are heard to speak of the difficulties 
of life in general; and of those pertaining to their own 
circumstances in particular. Religion itself is not intended 
to exonerate us from difficulties and trials in this world, but to 
sustain us under them here, and deliver us for ever from 
them hereafter. Even Paul, the great apostle of the Gen- 
tiles, spake from experience, as well as inspiration, when 
he said, " We must through much tribulation enter into the 
kingdom of God." In proof of this, Ave refer to that part 
of his journal immediately preceding the text: "And there 
came thither certain Jews from Antioch, and Iconium, who 
persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him 
out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as 
the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came 
into the city : and the next day he departed with Barnabas 
to Derbe." The amount of this statement is, the Jews 
influenced the rabble to raise a mob, which beat Paul down 
in the street, dragged him beyond the corporation line, and 
left him, as they supposed, dead; but after they dispersed, 
the disciples gathered round him, lifted their hearts to God 
in prayer, and he rose up, came into the city, and next day 
departed with Barnabas to Derbe. " And when they had 
preached the Gospel to that city, and had taught many, 
they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to 
Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhort- 
ing them to continue in the faith, and that we must through 
much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." 



SER. VIII.] TRIBULATION. 77 

We shall endeavor to show on this occasion, 
I. What is meant by the kingdom of God. 
The phrase kingdom of God, or kingdom of heaven, 
which is the same thing, as used by the inspired writers on 
some occasions, appears to mean the New Testament 
Church, of which Christ is the head and king; hence, the 
declaration of God by the Psalmist, "I have set my king 
upon. my holy hill of Zion." To the same spiritual empire 
the Savior himself referred, when he said to Pilate, "My 
kingdom is not of this world." This view of the subject is 
sustained by the opinion of Mr. Watson in his Biblical 
Dictionary, where, after showing that Christ's dominion 
was universal in one sense, he says, "But his kingdom 
primarily imports the Gospel Church, which is the subject 
of his laws, the seat of his government, and the object 
of his care; and being surrounded with powerful opposers, 
he is represented as ruling in the midst of his enemies." 
Christians are called "the children of the kingdom," which 
implies no inconsiderable privilege; for speaking of John 
the Baptist as a great prophet, Jesus said, "Notwith- 
standing, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven, is 
greater than he." 

By the kingdom of God is sometimes meant experi- 
mental religion. It was unquestionably used in this sense 
by Paul to the Romans, when he said, "For the kingdom 
of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, 
and joy in the Holy Ghost." What a blessed kingdom is 
this, consisting of righteousness, or justification ; peace 
with God, which that pardon secures ; and joy in the Holy 
Ghost ! In this sense, also, i^ is, that the apostle declares, 
" The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power;" by 
which we understand religion is a vital principle, regulating 
the affections of the heart, as outward laws influence the 
conduct of the life. The renovating influence of this 
religion upon the character of man, is well told by Paul to 

7* 



78 TRIBULATION. [sER. VIII. 

the Corinthians in these words: "Therefore, if any man 
be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are passed 
away ; behold, all things are become new." 

In other places, the phrase, kingdom of God, is used to 
express the state of future glory and felicity of his children. 
The words of the Savior, recorded by St. Luke-, are directly 
in point: "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, 
when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all 
the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves 
thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from 
the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall 
sit down in the kingdom of God." This passage needs no 
comment, to show its reference to the future state. It will 
be fully realized when Christ comes to judge the world; 
and before him shall be gathered all nations, dividing to the 
right and left, according to their true character. "Then 
shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye 
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world." 

To be a subject of the kingdom of God in the first sense, 
namely, a member of the Christian Church, having access 
to all her ordinances, is certainly a great privilege ; to be a 
subject of the kingdom in the second sense, that is, to 
enjoy heart-felt religion, having the kingdom of grace estab- 
lished within us, is a privilege still greater; but to be a 
subject of the kingdom in the last sense, crowned with 
everlasting life and glory in heaven, is the full and final 
consummation of all that can be desired. 

II. It is through much tribulation we enter into the 
kingdom of God. 

Tribulation is a stronger term than the common word 
trouble, and signifies sore trouble, or deep distress of mind; 
and, therefore, well expresses the scenes of affliction and 
sorrow through which we often pass in the Christian war- 
fare. Through much of this sore trouble we have to enter 



SER. VIII.] TRIBULATION. 79 

the kingdom ; and this is true in whatever sense the king- 
dom of God is understood, as above described. If, by- 
entering into the kingdom of God, be meant no more than 
becoming a member of the visible Church in an acceptable 
manner, then it is through much tribulation we enter in. " I 
cannot see that," says one ; " it is a plain and easy transac- 
tion to unite with the Church, and if there be any difficulty 
in it, I cannot perceive it." Well, if you cannot see it, 
others can feel it operating so forcibly on their minds, . as to 
keep them back for weeks, months, or years. Some serious, 
well disposed people seem to have difficulty in ascertaining 
whether such a step be really necessary or not. Hence, 
we hear them inquire if they cannot serve the Lord as 
well out of the Church as in it? No, they cannot. God's 
plan is better than ours ; and his plan, as set forth in the 
New Testament, is to have a Church, and the people to be 
members of it. But if all were to adopt the principle of 
staying out of the Church, then there would be no Church ; 
and, consequently, no ordinances, no Sabbath, no Gospel, 
no means of grace, nothing to sustain our civil institutions ; 
and, of course, we would relapse into heathen idolatry and 
degradation. 

Again, they ask, " Cannot we get to heaven without being 
members of the Church?" Perhaps under some circum- 
stances you might — such as render it impracticable for you 
to comply with that requisition of the Gospel; but they 
have nothing to do with a man's duty in ordinary cases. 
Moreover, if you consult your interest and happiness, it 
would be more proper to inquire if joining the Church 
would be of any service, and if so, to act promptly; for 
certainly we need all the help we can obtain. And surely 
much is gained toward a life of piety, by being separated 
from irreligious and sinful associates, and united to those 
who are spiritually minded, helping each other to bear the 
cross and follow Jesus. Here we would say to you as 



80 TRIBULATION. [sER. VIII. 

Moses said to his brother-in-law Hobab, ""We are journey- 
ing unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it 
you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for 
the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel." 

Others are embarrassed with the difficulty of making a 
selection. There are so many branches of the general 
Church, each professing to be the soundest in doctrine, 
discipline and usage, that the superficial inquirer scarcely 
knows where to direct his course. One says to him, 
"This is the way, walk in it:" another says, "Nay, you 
have missed your road, come this way, ours is the best 
Church:" while a third denomination profess to be the 
only true Church, saying, " The temple of the Lord, the 
temple of the Lord are we;" and, of course, heathens all 
beside. While some are thus perplexed by proselyters, 
others are referring to the principles of their early education 

on this wise: "My mother was a member of the 

Church;" and does that prove it to be the best Church? 
Certainly not. Another says, " My father always believed 

the doctrines of the Church;" but was your father 

infallible? If not, his belief proves nothing conclusively 
on the subject. To all those who sincerely desire to know 
the right way, we beg leave to suggest two things : First, 
read the Bible carefully, and by it try those various systems 
of faith and practice, marking the practical result of each, 
and the actual amount of good done by them, and in view 
of the whole, make up the best judgment you can, with 
the helps afforded you ; and, secondly, give conscience fair 
play, deal honestly with your own soul, and join that 
Church in which you verily believe you can serve God 
best, and make surest work for heaven. Observe, we do 
not say where you will be the most popular with the irre- 
ligious, have the fewest crosses to bear and duties to per- 
form, the least persecution to suffer, and most liberty of 
conforming to the principles, practices, and fashions of the 



SER. VIII.] TRIBULATION. 81 

world; but we say, join where you conscientiously believe 
you can serve God most acceptably, and most effectually 
secure your final salvation. Do these two things, and we 
have no fear of the result. 

There is another class of serious people, who allow it is 
right to be in the Church and conform to her rules, and 
they have no difficulty in determining what Church would 
suit them best, but they are troubled with the fear of their 
own unfitness. This is a matter worthy of due considera- 
tion, and one on which men entertain a great variety of 
opinions. Two things on this subject are so plain as to be 
admitted by all: one, that a converted man is a fit subject 
of Church membership ; and the other, that a careless, 
impenitent sinner is unfit for Church membership. But 
there is a third character, about the claims of which Chris- 
tians are not so well agreed : namely, the humble seeker of 
religion, who has not yet obtained any evidence of a saving 
change, but is truly awakened to see his lost condition, 
sincerely penitent for all his sins, and determined to break 
them off by righteousness, and is earnestly seeking salva- 
tion through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is very natural for 
such a one to feel himself unworthy of a place among 
Christians ; but what is the Church for, but to bring glory 
to God by making men better and more happy? We do 
not say that this mourner in Zion is fit for heaven without 
conversion, nor do we contend that he is as good as he 
might or ought to be; but we say, he is a fit subject of 
prayer and instruction and encouragement in seeking his 
soul's salvation ; and that in the Church is the proper place 
to look for all these things, and that he should have access 
to the means of grace. To this end, our Church would 
admit such a seeker on trial : not to tell him that because 
he desires to be saved, therefore he is saved ; nor to per- 
suade him that he has a hope, while he knows himself to 



82 TRIBULATION. 



SER. VIII. 



be in the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity, but 
to encourage and help him in seeking salvation. 

To say that the earnest seeker of salvation should not be 
admitted to the means of grace until he is saved from sin, 
is as unreasonable as to say an ignorant child should not 
be sent to school until he has finished his education, or a 
hungry man should not eat till he is sufficed, or a sick man 
should not take medicine till he is first cured. Who needs 
the means of grace more than the broken-hearted sinner, 
and where are those means but in the Church? The 
notion of building up a Church, composed exclusively of 
converted souls, who can never fall away, so as to perish, 
has not yet been realized in any age, as it is manifest that 
in every Church, the first Christian society not excepted, 
some have become final apostates, which shows that they 
were received in an unregenerate state, or that they subse- 
quently fell from grace; and, we think, such a Church 
never will exist on earth, because the plan of it is absurd in 
itself. If called on for money to establish a seminary 
of learning, in which none should be admitted as scholars 
but those who had learned all man could teach them, and 
never could forget what they knew, you would decline 
giving any thing for such an institution on the ground of its 
being useless; and yet men will lend their influence to 
build up a Church which professes to proceed on the prin- 
ciple of receiving no members, except such as have the 
knowledge of God in the remission of sins, and never can 
forget that they were purged from their old sins, so as to 
perish. But if all this be so, these members will be saved 
in heaven, whether in the Church or out of it; and, there- 
fore, any Church, so far as they are concerned, is useless. 
Again, suppose ye were called on to aid in building a 
hospital for the benefit of such only as had been sick and 
had recovered, and never could relapse so as to be in danger 
of dying, would ye not refuse to aid in such an enterprise 



SER. VIII. 3 TRIBULATION. 83 

on the ground of its being useless ? And what think ye 
of a Church, which professes to be composed only of such 
as have been sick of sin, and have been already healed by 
the heavenly Physician, and never can relapse into sin so 
as to be lost ? Here again, we say, if all this be so, then 
such persons will be certainly saved at last, Church or no 
Church ; and, consequently, building up such a Church is 
lost labor, so far as it regards them. 

On the contrary, we take the ground that this life is a 
state of probation, in which men are required to prepare for 
the life to come ; that God has concluded all under sin, that 
he might have mercy on all, by giving his Son to die for 
them, and his Spirit to strive with them, and that when 
they are awakened and brought by grace under repentance, 
they should be encouraged by all means. A seminary, to 
be generally useful, should be adapted to all classes of 
learners ; and if the Church, which is the school of Christ, 
would be extensively useful, she must receive not only 
those who are wise unto salvation, but also such as are 
learning the first principles of the doctrine of Christ. The 
hospital, to be of any important use, must receive the 
afflicted, poor, and unfortunate ; and the Church, which is 
the grand Gospel hospital for a world of diseased sinners, 
should admit all sin-sick souls, who, sensibly feeling their 
ruined condition, sincerely desire and earnestly seek the 
balm of Gilead and the Physician there; or, in other 
words, those who desire to be healed through faith in the 
blood of the Lamb. Christ invites such as labor and are 
heavy laden to come to him, take his easy yoke, and learn 
of him, with the promise of rest to their souls. He pro- 
nounces a blessing upon the poor in spirit and them that 
mourn, and will in no wise cast out them who come unto 
him ; and shall the Church turn off such as Christ receives ? 
We trust not. It is at least matter of rejoicing with us to 
know, there is a Church whose doors are open to returning 



84 TRIBULATION. [SER. VIII. 

prodigals and humble penitents ; that she will receive such 
cordially as probationers for membership in the Church 
below and the Church above, and afford them all the help 
in her power, to work out their own salvation with fear and 
trembling, while God works in them to will and to do 
of his good pleasure. We know that some think it is a 
great sin to join the Church before we are converted; but 
facts and experience contradict their theory. In our 
Church we all join first on trial, whether converts or seek- 
ers; but many of us, and your unworthy servant among 
the rest, joined only as seekers on trial, and shortly after- 
ward found peace in believing, and joy in the Holy Ghost; 
and from all we have seen, heard and felt on the subject 
for many years, we still believe that in the Church is the 
best place to get converted, and the best place to stay con- 
verted. In confirmation of this doctrine, we may be allowed 
to say, and we do it without boasting, there is no Church, 
a larger proportion of whose members enjoy the life and 
power of religion, than the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
notwithstanding most of them were received on trial before 
they obtained any evidence of saving change. These are 
facts known to all who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and 
hearts to feel ; and facts too not easily set aside by human 
theories and speculations. 

There is another class of hopeful penitents, whose tribu 
lation arises, chiefly, from a fear that they shall not be 
able to hold out to the end, if received into the Church ; 
and who, consequently, hesitate about making the trial, 
lest having run well for a season, they should faint by the 
way, have to turn back, and their last state should be worse 
than the first. It is well enough to count the cost of any 
great enterprise before we engage in it, but not to neglect 
our duty altogether on account of difficulties, nor yet to 
defer it so as to endanger our best interest. That there are 
some difficulties connected with a life of piety is readily 






SER. VIII.] TRIBULATION. 85 

admitted, but they bear no comparison with the glorious 
prize which awaits us at the end of the race ; and grace to 
sustain us under all these difficulties, is freely promised us 
as long as we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Beside, to 
decline forming any connection with the Church for fear 
of not persevering to the end, is only shunning one diffi- 
culty to encounter a greater. Whether in the Church or 
out of it, we must not only set out for heaven, but perse- 
vere till we get there, or be undone for ever ; and the ques- 
tion to be settled is, which affords us the greater help and 
prospect of success in leading a religious life and preparing 
for heaven, the Church or the world ? Let the Bible, let 
the experience of those who have tried both, answer, and 
then act accordingly, by flying from the world as from a 
deadly enemy, to the strong holds of Zion for refuge. 

Another source of tribulation to those who sometimes 
think seriously of uniting with the Church, is, the fear 
of opposition from those without. There may be some 
• difficulty in breaking off old associations, and to do so 
requires moral courage; but there is no insurmountable 
obstruction in the way. In some cases the difficulty is 
more imaginary than real. Possibly, while we are speak- 
ing on the subject, one is saying to himself, "What would 
my neighbor and friend think, if I were to go forward 
and join myself to the Lord's people?" Indeed, it is of 
very little consequence what he would think or say in com- 
parison of your soul's everlasting welfare. Moreover, in this 
you are not alone ; for while you feel yourself a sinner, and 
think of reforming, others feel and think the same way. 
Perhaps your next friend there is saying to himself, " What 
would you think, if he were to come out on the Lord's 
side?" Thus, ye may stand in each others' way till one 
sets the example, and then others may follow. It is true, 
however, that, in other cases, there may be real opposition, 
not from friends, (for no one is your friend who opposes 

8 



86 TRIBULATION. [sER. VIII. 

you in doing your duty to God and yourself,) but from 
acquaintances, and even relatives; still the opposition 
may be overcome, borne, or removed. Such as have this 
sort of open, violent opposition to contend with, may take 
courage from this consideration, "He that is for us, is 
greater than all that can be against us." Only be humble, 
faithful, and persevering, and the Lord whom you serve 
will open your way clear before you. How the Lord will 
remove the hindrance and open the way, we know not, nor 
is it any part of our business to know what means he will 
adopt to accomplish the object; it may be he will convert 
your opposers, or soften down their prejudices ; or if they 
continue obstinate, he may cut them off suddenly without 
remedy. Indeed, you should both pray and hope for their 
salvation, and not for their destruction; but suppose you 
should finally fail, must you submit to go with them to 
destruction, because they refuse to go with you to heaven ? 
Is it not madness to go to hell for the sake of company ? 
We speak as unto wise men, judge ye what we say. 

Once more, there are serious individuals who seem to be 
greatly perplexed on the subject of joining the Church, 
because they think some of those already members are 
unworthy, and to be identified with them in Church fellow- 
ship would be a condescension ! We would advise such to 
look round upon the state of society with whom they are 
now identified out of the Church, where we could show 
them ten hypocrites for every one they can point out in the 
Church, at least in that part of the general Church with 
which we are acquainted; and, further, we would advise 
them to get clear of all bad characters in their own com- 
munity, before they object to the Church on the ground 
that some of her members are unworthy. That we are not 
all as good in the Church as we ought to be is readily 
admitted, still we doubt whether it is half as bad with us as 
you imagine ; it may be you have formed your opinion 



SER. VIII.] TRIBULATION. 87 

of us in part through the misrepresentation of our enemies. 
But suppose, for the sake of the argument, your impression 
is correct, that among the thousands of our Israel there 
are some hypocrites, carry out your principles and see 
where you will end. When these hypocrites die, they 
will go down quick into hell, and if you stay out of the 
Church and neglect your religious duty on their account, 
when you die, you will go down quick into hell with 
them; thus, instead of shunning bad company on your 
principles, you will be associated with it world without 
end. David says, "Mark the perfect man, and behold the 
upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the trans- 
gressors shall be destroyed together : the end of the wicked 
shall be cut orT." This text, while it refers you to the 
final consequence of your present course of opposition to 
the Church on the ground of disorderly membership, also 
suggests an effectual way of escape: join the Church, and 
see to it that you act the part of a perfect and upright man, 
let others do as they may, and your end shall be peace, and 
you shall obtain a place in the Church above, where none 
but the pure in heart will be admitted— so shall you be 
clear of hypocrites for ever. In the meantime the Church 
as it is, though she might be far better, is good enough for 
the best of us ; and any individual, however high his stand- 
ing among men, should regard it as a great privilege and 
honor to have a name on her roll and a seat at her altar. 

It is possible we have been rather tedious on this part 
of the subject; if so, its importance must be our apology. 
We trust, at least, enough has been said to show, satis- 
factorily, that if by entering into the kingdom of God, be 
meant no more than uniting with the visible Church of 
Christ, then it is through much tribulation that we enter 
into that kingdom. 

And as it would render the subject too tedious to embody 
it all in one discourse, and as it is of too much importance 



88 TRIBULATION. [SER. IX. 

to be left unfinished, Ave will here close for the present, 
reserving the remainder of what we have to say thereon for 
another discourse. 



SERMON IX. 

TRIBULATION THE WAY TO THE KINGDOM. 

DISCOURSE II. 

" And that we must through much tribulation enter into the king- 
dom of God," Acts xiv, 22. 

It will be recollected that in our first discourse on this 
subject, we showed the kingdom of God to be a phrase 
which sometimes means the Gospel Church, of which 
Christ is head and king; that in other places it means 
experimental religion; and again that it signifies, in some 
places, the future state of bliss and glory, reserved for the 
saints of light above. Our second proposition was to illus- 
trate the fact here stated, that we must through much tribu- 
lation enter into the kingdom of God. We had progressed 
so far as to show, that if by entering into the kingdom 
of God implies no more than becoming a member of the 
Church, according to the first definition of the term king- 
dom, then it is through much tribulation we succeed. 

The next thing in the order of the subject, is to show, 
that if by entering into the kingdom of God be understood, 
getting converted, or becoming the subject of experimental 
religion, or being " translated from the kingdom of darkness 
into the kingdom of God's dear Son," then it is through 
much tribulation we enter that kingdom. Conversion, in 
all cases, is preceded by conviction, a painful sense of our 
naturally fallen and lost condition, and of our guilt as per- 
sonal transgressors, and of our consequent exposure to the 
wrath of God, and of our own entire helplessness. This 
important part of the work of grace in the sinner's heart is 



SER. IX.] TRIBULATION. 89 

wrought by the agency of the Holy Spirit, causing the 
word of God to be quick and powerful, sharper than a two- 
edged sword, laying open to his view the exceeding sinful- 
ness of his nature and of his ungodly life, and the conse- 
quent necessity of being "born again," before he can be 
admitted into the presence of a thrice holy God. Thus, 
conviction is attended with much tribulation, with great 
mental distress, insomuch that the subject of it is ready to 
apply in his own case what Job said in his extremity of 
pain, "For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the 
poison whereof drinketh up my spirit : the terrors of God 
do set themselves in array against me." And this distress 
of the awakened soul is frequently increased by a fear 
of being rejected at the mercy seat, because he is for the 
present much more impressed with his sin and misery, and 
the punishment which he deserves, than he is with a view 
of that ample provision of mercy which the Gospel freely 
tenders in such cases. In many instances, this fear borders 
on despair itself, especially if the subject has previously 
been enlightened so as to see his danger; and has made 
resolutions to reform, and has broken them, in which case 
he is apt to be tormented with the thought that his day 
of grace is ended, that the promises do not apply to him at 
all; but, on the contrary, that all the divine threatenings 
are aimed against him as one of the worst offenders. 
Indeed, it would be nothing new under the sun, if he 
should take to himself the words of Paul to the rebellious 
Hebrews, "For if we sin willfully after that we have 
received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no 
more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for 
of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the 
adversaries." Still, in this point, he is mistaken. It is 
his privilege to prove experimentally, " This is a faithful 
saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus 
came into the world to save sinners." 

8* 



90 TRIBULATION. [sER. IX. 

But placing the subject of this work on the most favor- 
able ground, he must at least pass through the pangs of the 
new birth, in order to enter into the kingdom of God in the 
sense now under consideration, namely, so as to enjoy 
righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. And is it 
a small matter to feel those throes of sorrow and those 
struggles of heart to believe, which are necessarily con- 
nected with that work of the Spirit, by which we become 
"dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus 
Christ our Lord?" No, verily. The fact of the inspired 
writers having to make constant use of such figures as are 
drawn from our creation, birth, death and resurrection, to 
illustrate this change of heart, so essential to our happiness, 
shows it to be one of vast importance and of glorious 
import, and one which cannot be wrought in us without 
materially affecting our feelings. It greatly excites the 
mind, and not unfrequently agitates the body too ; and the 
idea of any person undergoing this change without know- 
ing it, is altogether too unreasonable to be entertained by 
any intelligent Christian. 

While we contend that the regeneration of our nature is 
preceded and attended with much tribulation, we readily 
admit at the same time, that some individuals manifest 
external signs of stronger mental excitement than others, 
in passing from the death of sin to a life of holiness. This 
difference may be owing in part to variety of character 
among the subjects of conversion, as it regards constitutional 
make, education, and habit; and to the goodness and conde- 
scension of God, who, not being willing that any should 
perish, but that all should come to repentance and live, 
accommodates his manner of working to the weakness and 
misery of man, so as to be effectual in all cases. And 
there may be other causes entirely beyond our compre- 
hension in the present state of things. But after all, the 
difference in the real amount of suffering experienced by 



SER. IX.] TRIBULATION. 91 

the several subjects of converting grace, is probably less 
than is generally supposed. One is brought up in total 
ignorance and neglect of all religious obligation, and con- 
tinues for a long series of years a constant course of impiety 
and rebellion, during which he neither fears God nor 
regards man; and though it might be expected that God 
would make him an example of punishment for others to 
fear, he makes him an example of the mercy and power 
of saving grace. The conversion of such a man, if effected 
at all, is generally instantaneous, bordering on the miracu- 
lous, because no other mode of working would probably 
prove successful in his case. The light of truth is shed at 
once on his mind by the Holy Spirit, showing him his true 
condition as a sinner; his sins surprise him as suddenly 
and unexpectedly as he would be startled by thunder with- 
out a cloud, with a sense of which he is so overwhelmed 
as to fall powerless to the ground ; and being conquered he 
surrenders at once, throws himself entirely on the mercy 
of God, and after a struggle of perhaps only a few hours is 
created anew in Christ Jesus. The deliverance in such 
cases is usually as instantaneous and clear, as the distress 
that preceded was sudden and overpowering. Very many 
conversions, similar to this, are recorded in the New 
Testament, as in the cases of Saul, of the jailer, and of the 
people on the day of Pentecost, <fec. 

On the other hand, we see an individual who has been 
taught to fear God and respect the ordinances of religion 
from childhood. He cannot recollect the time when he was 
without conviction for sin, and the most that can be said 
against him is, he lives in the neglect of experimental and 
practical godliness. Now, it is not probable he will ever 
feel that sudden and pungent conviction described in the 
other case, because it is not necessary, as he already knows 
his duty and the consequence of neglecting it. His repen- 
tance unto salvation will be a gradual work, attended with 



92 TRIBULATION. [sER. IX. 

many fears of self-deception, because he is not wrought on 
more powerfully — many struggles with unbelief, and much 
distress on account of the hardness of his heart, and many 
reproofs of conscience for sinning against so much light 
and knowledge; and when his distress passes off, to be 
succeeded by religious joy, it will probably be in the same 
gradual manner. He will first recognize the morning star 
of hope, then the twilight of peace, and finally the Sun 
of righteousness will shed the full rays of heavenly light 
upon his soul, to give him the light of the knowledge of the 
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ shining unto him. 
In the first case the distress of mind was greater for a short 
time, because it was concentrated into the narrow compass 
of a few hours ; and in the second case the distress was less 
severe at any one time, because it was spread over the 
space of months or years ; but upon the whole, it is ques- 
tionable whether the latter did not really suffer as much 
tribulation in entering the kingdom of God as the former. 
The extreme anguish of the one, which suspended his 
bodily functions, produced coldness of extremities, and 
caused his breast to heave with sorrow, was soon over; 
but the tribulation of the other, like a wasting consumption, 
preyed on him for months or years before he found the 
healing balm of mercy. But the evidence of the change 
may be as certain and satisfactory in one case as the other ; 
and whether we get converted in a day or year is of but 
little consequence, so we get the blessing and retain it 
to the end. 

It now remains for us to show, if by entering into the 
kingdom of God be meant getting to heaven, then it is still 
true that we must through much tribulation enter that king- 
dom. This life is our state of trial, and no one, it is pre- 
sumed, continues long on earth after conversion, without 
proving the truth of the Savior's words, "In the world ye 
shall have tribulation." Though in the Church, and con- 



SER. IX.] TRIBULATION. 93 

verted too, the Christian's warfare is but just commenced ; 
fightings without and fears within may be expected. 
While we strive to walk in Christ as we have received 
him, the world, the flesh and Satan, will all make war 
upon us, and we shall have to wrestle, not only with flesh 
and blood, but also with principalities, and powers, and 
spiritual wickedness in high places, and with the rulers 
of the darkness of this world; but God will teach our 
hands to war and our fingers to fight ; and if faithful to the 
grace given, we shall conquer through the blood of the 
Lamb, and come off more than conquerors through him 
that loved us. 

After all other difficulties are passed, then comes death, 
the latest foe "to man, when we expect, as soldiers of the 
cross,, to fight our last battle, and gain the laurel of final 
victory ; not in our own name, but in the name and strength 
of Jesus, who has destroyed him that had the power 
of death, that is, the devil. When or where, or by what 
means we shall be brought into conflict with death, is 
uncertain ; but come when he will, and as he may, we trust 
to have supporting grace in the trying hour. Yes, blessed 
be God, we hope Jesus will be there to hold up our sink- 
ing heads and soothe our breaking hearts, so that we shall 
be enabled to say, " death, where is thy sting? grave, 
where is thy victory ? The sting of death is sin ; and the 
strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which 
giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

III. We shall conclude by noticing some considerations 
which ought to resign us to all this tribulation. 

One very material consideration is, this sore trouble 
through which we are destined to enter into the kingdom 
of God, is all intended by our heavenly Father for our good 
in the end. Frequently, we fear too frequently, Christians 
are wont to indulge in railing accusations against the world 
in which Providence has placed us. We complain of it as 



94 TRIBULATION. [SER. IX. 

a world of toil and disappointment, vexation and sorrow, 
affliction and death, all of which may be true ; still it is the 
only world we were ever yet in, and the best one we ever 
shall be in, unless we improve the gracious privileges 
afforded us here, so as to become holy in heart, in life, and 
in all manner of conversation. With all our objections 
to this world, how prone are we to love it too much ; and 
if we had no tribulation in it, would we ever once think 
seriously of preparing to leave it ? We fear not. But our 
tribulation is a part of that system of discipline, by which 
our heavenly Father is training us for a higher and better 
state of being ; and though our affliction and sorrow do not 
seem pleasant to us, apart from future considerations, still 
they are all administered in love; "And we know that 
all things work together for good, to them that love God, 
to them who are the called according to his purpose." 

But suppose it were otherwise, and no future benefit 
could be expected from all our afflictions, still we have less 
tribulation in getting to the kingdom of God, than sinners 
have in going to hell. Solomon said, "The way of trans- 
gressors is hard." It is hard indeed from beginning to 
end, or rather without end. It is hard to contend with the 
influence of religious education, and the entreaties of pious 
friends — hard to resist the overpowering eloquence of the 
Gospel, and influence of the Holy Spirit, which plead 
directly to the heart — hard to resist the claims of God's 
violated law, and the remonstrance of a guilty conscience — 
hard to endure the horrors of a sinner's death-bed scene, 
and the terrors of the general judgment — hard to be turned 
into the lake of fire and brimstone, and stay there for ever ; 
and there is one thing harder still, the thought of having 
willfully rejected Christ and chosen death in the error 
of their way: this will be worse than all the chains of 
bondage, prisons of darkness, frightful spirits, deathless 
worms, and quenchless fires, in the abodes of endless 



SER. IX.] TRIBULATION. 95 

despair. We say then, great as is our tribulation in getting 
to heaven, that of the wicked in getting to hell is still 
greater. If we go to destruction, we shall have tribulation 
all the way, and then world without end; if we go to 
heaven, we can but have tribulation for a season, and then 
comes deliverance full and final, to be followed by endless 
life and glory. 

Again, our tribulation in entering the kingdom of God is 
less than that of other and better people who have gone 
before us. If any one doubts this, let him read the history 
of God's ancient worthies, as set forth by Paul to the 
Hebrews: "And others had trial of cruel mockings and 
scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 
they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, 
were slain with the sword : they wandered about in sheep- 
skins and goat-skins ; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 
(of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in 
deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the 
earth." If this does not remove his doubts, let him read 
the history of the martyrs in the dark ages preceding the 
Reformation ; who were broken on wheels, thrown to wild 
beasts in the theatre, wrapped in raw-hides and worried 
with dogs, had their flesh torn off by piece-meal with red 
hot pincers, or were tied to the stake and roasted alive ; 
and when we remember these things, let us blush at the 
thought of complaining of our little trials in this land 
of peace and liberty. 

Finally, all the tribulation we ever have to suffer as 
the children of God, will be in this short life, and the 
time of deliverance is drawing nigh. This is what recon- 
ciles us to our tribulation, buoys our spirits above the 
waves of sorrow, nerves our arm in the day of battle with 
the powers of darkness, inspires us with patience under 
lingering affliction, and enables us to survey the silent tomb 
with composure. In view of the prospect of final deliver- 



96 HOPE. jj5ER. X. 

ance, we hope to obey, cheerfully, the summons to leave 
this land of exile and death, and repair to our Father's 
house above, and mingle with all those who come out 
of great tribulation, and wash their robes and make them 
white in the blood of the Lamb. And surely, brethren, we 
shall then be more than rewarded, though "we must 
through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." 



SERMON X. 

HOPE. 
"Hope thou in God," Psalm xlii, 11. 
Perhaps there are few words, if any, in more common 
use among us, than the term hope. People of all classes, 
wise, ignorant, learned and simple, use it on all occasions, 
and in reference to all subjects. And yet, if we may judge 
from the misapplications made of it, there are but few 
words less understood, as we shall probably see in the pro- 
gress of the discourse. Peter once gave his persecuted 
brethren this important advice, "And who is he that will 
harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But 
and if ye sutler for righteousness' sake, happy are ye ; and 
be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but 
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts : and be ready always 
to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason 
of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." And 
that we also may be able to do the same thing more readily, 
we shall now endeavor to show, 

I. The meaning of the word hope. 

II. The object of hope. 

III. The marks of a true hope as distinguished from a 
false one. 

I. Hope is often used to mean no more than a mere wish 
or desire. Thus, when our friend is sick, apparently unto 



SER. X.] HOPE. 97 

death, we say, " We do not think he will live, but we hope 
he may;" that is, we wish for, or desire it. Or, if a man 
professes religion, and does not live accordingly, we say, 
"We fear he is not a good man, but we hope he is;" 
namely, we desire it may be made so to appear. But this 
is an improper use of the term. 

Hope means desire and expectation ; and nothing is 
properly a subject of hope, unless we expect as well as 
desire it. The zealous Christian desires that every human 
being may be saved; but from circumstances surrounding 
him, he does not expect, and therefore does not hope for 
such a glorious event. Again, sinners expect to die, but 
they do not desire, and therefore do not hope to die. But 
the faithful husbandman that ploughs, sows and cultivates, 
hopes to reap the fruit of his toil, by the blessing of God 
upon his labor ; that is, he both desires and expects it. So 
the faithful Christian hopes or desires and expects to have 
"his fruit unto holiness, and the end thereof everlast- 
ing life." 

Hope always implies a want of possession respecting the 
things hoped for. Thus Paul says, "For we are saved by 
hope. But hope that is seen, is not hope : for what a man 
seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that 
we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." Hence, 
the Scriptures show, as well as the meaning of the word, 
that no man hopes for what he enjoys ; for hope looks for- 
ward. A poor man hopes, that by the use of industry and 
economy, he shall acquire the comforts of life ; but when 
he obtains them, he no longer hopes for, but possesses and 
enjoys them. A traveler on his way to Washington, hopes 
to reach the city ; but after he arrives, he does not hope to 
get there, for he knows he is there. The application is 
easy. The penitent sinner hopes to receive the pardon 
of his sins, and the love of God shed abroad in his heart; 
but when he receives these blessings, they cease to be the 



98 HOPE. [SER. X. 

objects of his hope, and become the objects of his enjoy- 
ment: and being now a Zion traveler, he hopes to get to 
heaven ; but after he gets to heaven, 

" There faith is sweetly lost in sight, 
And hope in full fruition dies, 
And all his soul is love." 

Hope implies a possibility of attaining to the object 
hoped for; for where there is no possibility, hope flies, 
and despair ensues. For illustration, we hope to see 
to-morrow, which is possible, but we do not hope to see 
yesterday, which is impossible ; so an awakened and peni- 
tent sinner hopes his future days may be employed in the 
service of God, which is possible, but does not hope that 
his past life, devoted to the world and sin, will be so 
employed in God's service, which is impossible. 

If the view we have taken of the subject be correct, as 
we think it is, does it not follow, that there has been a very 
general misuse of the term hope, and that too in all circles 
of society ? Even men professedly learned have published, 
habitually, in their periodicals, accounts of revivals of relig- 
ion, which they conclude, by saying, substantially, "As 

the fruits of this revival persons have obtained a 

hope." A hope of what? If they mean that the indi- 
viduals referred to, having got their souls converted, have 
now a hope of getting to heaven, it is well enough ; but 
if they mean that they have obtained a hope that they are 
brought out of the darkness, bondage, and guilt of sin, into 
the light, liberty, and peace of the Gospel, it is only dark- 
ening counsel with words without knowledge. Religious 
enjoyment either is, or is not, a subject of knowledge. If 
it be a subject of knowledge, as the sacred writers abun- 
dantly affirm, then it is not a subject of hope, for hope is 
desire and expectation of some future good ; and if it be 
not a subject of knowledge, then it is of no consequence 
whether we have it or not. We say, if the difference 



SER. X.] HOPE. 99 

between being happy in God, and being miserable in sin, 
is so little that we cannot know it, the fair conclusion is, 
that it is by no means important which state we are in. 
And if such are the perversions which the professedly 
learned make of the word hope, it is not at all strange that 
their more simple followers should so generally adopt the 
error. Hence, it is, that some professors of religion have 
a hope, that they enjoy a hope; and others are "hoping 
for a hope," which properly means, they are desiring and 
expecting that they shall some day obtain a desire and an 
expectation ! After all, we wish not to condemn them for 
the improper use of a word; but we do wish, if possible, 
to turn a pure language upon Zion, by ascertaining and 
fixing the meaning of a plain Scripture word. 

II. The object of our hope : " Hope thou in God," whom 
the prophet in another place calls, "the Hope of Israel," 
and who is suitable for us to fix our hope in, on many 
accounts. And, first, because he is a God of infinite 
perfections, whose illimitable wisdom discovers to him 
what is good and proper for his creatures ; whose omnipo- 
tence enables, and whose unchangeable goodness disposes 
him, at all times, to perform what his wisdom directs to be 
done : insomuch, that if there be any failure in our happi- 
ness, it is not chargeable to "the Hope of Israel," but to 
our refusal of his blessings on the terms he proposes. 

What God has done for us, is another reason why we 
should hope in him. But who can number the loving 
kindnesses of our God, to whom we are indebted for life 
and all its comforts here, as well as all our future hopes 
and prospects ? Among the mercies of God, and above all 
others, is, "the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;" 
for "herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he 
loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our 
sins." What wondrous love is this ! Paul reasons well 
on this subject, when he says, "He that spared not his 



100 HOPE. [sER. X. 

own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he 
not with him also freely give us all things?" Surely, 
my brethren, here are strong grounds to sustain our 
hope in God. 

Another ground of hope in God is, what he hath promised 
to do for his people— for all who will trust in him ; which 
may be summed up in this, "My grace is sufficient for 
them." Sufficient in every case; and the greater the diffi- 
culties of God's people, the more interesting will hope 
appear. Like an anchor, it is the most useful in a storm ; 
or like an ever-green, it appears most lovely when all 
things else are dead. The experience of David well 
accords with this view of the subject: "As with a sword 
in my bones, mine enemies reproach me ; while they say 
daily unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast 
down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within 
me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is 
the health of my countenance, and my God." 

III. The marks of a true hope, as distinguished from a 
false one. All have hopes of some kind or other. The 
idea of endless misery is so intolerable, that no one can 
reconcile it to his mind to endure it; and as a drowning 
man would catch at a straw, so do sinners of all sorts grasp 
their false hopes for relief. Thus, an atheist may work 
himself up into a hope that there is no God to take cogni- 
zance of his impieties ; the deist, that the Bible is a fable, 
and that he will not be held responsible for his conduct; 
the Universalist, that there is no punishment after death ; 
the better informed sinner, who believes the doctrines of 
revelation, but has never yet complied with their requisi- 
tions, that at some future day he will obtain salvation, 
though he does not seek it ; the backslider, that he will yet 
be brought in, though he seems quite contented without; 
the carnal professor, that he will be made holy, though he 
seeks not to be better. But "the hope of the hypocrite 



SER. x.] iiorE. 101 

shall perish," saith the Almighty ; and " the hope of the 
sinner is as the giving up of the ghost ;" for as the spirit 
leaves the body in death, so will all these hopes leave their 
deluded votaries for ever. 

The hope of the Gospel is not only well founded, as we 
have seen, but it may be known by the following Scrip- 
tural marks : It is purifying in its nature ; for Paul says, 
"We are saved by hope." The desire and expectation 
of being finally delivered from sin and its consequences, 
leads us to seek and obtain that deliverance. And John 
says, " Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth 
himself, even as he (Christ) is pure." Vain then are the 
hopes of any to be happy in the next world, who seek not 
to be saved from sin in this life. 

It is a lively hope : " Thanks be to God, who hath begot- 
ten us again to a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus 
Christ from the dead," a strong desire and a strong expec- 
tation of eternal life, animating us to press on with ardor 
for it. 

It is a blissful hope; for we "rejoice in hope of the 
glory of God." And superficial, indeed, is our religion, 
when it does not make us happy; for the faithful believer 
rejoices "with joy unspeakable and full of glory." 

The Gospel hope is a patient, persevering hope ; hence, 
we are to abound "in the patience of hope." We are to 
gird up our minds, " and hope to the end ;" yea, to "retain 
the rejoicing of our hope firm to the end." 

The Gospel "hope maketh not ashamed, because the 
love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy 
Ghost, which is given unto us:" wherefore, he that is 
ashamed of Christ and his ordinances, though the world 
may persecute him, is destitute of the true Gospel hope 
of future bliss, and unworthy of his Master, by whose 
name he is called ; for when our hearts are right, we 
"glory not save in the cross of Christ." In a word, the 
9* 



102 HOPE. [SER. X. 

hope of the Gospel is purifying, lively, blissful, patient 
and persevering, and maketh hot ashamed. 

Well may the Christian's hope be called a glorious hope ; 
for it is like "an anchor of the soul, both sure and stead- 
fast, and which entereth into that within the vail," not the 
vail of the tabernacle, but of heaven, " where the forerunner 
is for us entered, even Jesus," our all in all. Let others 
seek their glory in the mansions of fame, or the fields 
of carnage ; but, as one has said, " Our hope is not reared 
in earthly palaces ; it dwells in the sanctuary of God ; does 
not harness the chariot of conquest, nor spread the canopy 
of empire; but lives at the sick man's bed, and kneels 
down at the side of the tomb." " The righteous hath hope 
in his death." And the hope we have in Jesus, cheers our 
lonesome hours, strengthens the weary and heavy laden, 
dries up the flowing tears of the lonely widow and her 
disconsolate orphans, brings the bread of life to the hungry 
poor, and enriches them with " gold tried in the fire ;" 
softens the blows of affliction, hushes the storm of tribula- 
tion, pours the balm of love into the wounded spirit, lights 
the weary pilgrim to his grave, stands as his faithful senti- 
nel till the morning of the resurrection, clothes him with 
the habiliments of immortality, and introduces him to the 
marriage supper of the Lamb, to regale himself with fruits 
which grow on the tree of life, where he may eat and live 
for ever. Lord, evermore give us this hope, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 



6ER. XI.] THE CONNECTION OF THE GRACES, 103 

SERMON XI. 

THE CONNECTION OF THE GRACES. 

"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that 
tribulation worketh patience , and patience, experience ; and experience, 
hope : and hope maketh not ashamed : because the love of God is shed 
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us," 
Romans v, 3, 4, 5. 

In the third chapter of this epistle, Paul proves to the 
Romans, the fallen state of all men, without regard to 
national distinction. The picture which he draws of the 
heart and life of man is so strong and impressive, that we 
may safely leave it without note or comment, to speak for 
itself. " What then? are we better than they? No, in no 
wise : for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, 
that they are all under sin ; as it is written, There is none 
righteous, no, not one : there is none that understandeth, 
there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone 
out of the way, they are together become unprofitable: 
there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat 
is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used 
deceit ; the poison of asps is under their lips : whose 
mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are 
swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their 
ways : and the Avay of peace have they not known. There 
is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that 
what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are 
under the law : that every mouth may be stopped, and all 
the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by 
the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his 
sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." 

Having established the doctrine of man's depravity, the 
apostle next proceeds to show clearly, that though the 
Gentile could not be justified before God by the law of 
nature, nor the Jew by the law of Moses, yet both might 



104 THE CONNECTION OF THE GRACES. [SER. XI 

be justified freely through faith in Christ. This argument, 
found in the latter part of the third and running through the 
fourth chapter, sets the subject before us in an encouraging 
light, placing the pardon of sin and the consolation of grace 
on ground at once easy and suited to our helpless condition. 
It may be proper to add here, that the faith which secures 
these most desirable blessings, is such as embraces Christ 
fully as an all-sufficient Savior, and trusts in him exclu- 
sively as our only hope of obtaining mercy. 

To encourage us in the exercise of this faith, and furnish 
us with certain tests by which we may know when we 
possess it, Paul next presents us with a summary view of 
the privileges and blessings of the justified state in these 
words : " Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace 
with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ : by whom also 
we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, 
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." All these bene- 
fits are the fruits of saving faith, enjoyed by every true 
believer, and are conferred in the same order in which they 
are here expressed; namely, "Peace with God:" * * * 
"access by faith into this grace wherein we stand," or by 
which we are enabled to stand firm amidst all opposition, 
"and rejoice in hope of the glory of God," to be revealed 
in the saints hereafter in heaven, the contemplation and 
prospect of which render us exceeding joyful, even in the 
house of our pilgrimage. Now this assemblage of cove- 
nant blessings presented at one view to the eye of faith, is 
to the Christian, in his probationary state, what the clusters 
of grapes, ripe and sweet, from the valley of Eshcol, were 
to the Israelites, when journeying through the wilderness 
to the land of promise — a delightful foretaste of a better 
inheritance. 

The apostle, as though he anticipated that some one 
was just about to introduce the objection, " Christians have 
affliction and trouble like other men," adds, "And not only 



SER. XI.] THE CONNECTION OF THE CRACES. 105 

so, but we glory in tribulations also." IVibulation is sore 
trouble, or deep distress of mind. To glory in tribula- 
tions, is to take delight in them. But how men can take 
delight in sore trouble, is certainly worthy of serious con- 
sideration, as one of the mysteries of godliness ; best under- ■ 
stood by those who walk in newness of life. "We glory 
in tribulations," not on account of what they are in them- 
selves, but on account of the benefits resulting therefrom. 
No man in his right mind ever does choose any evil of any 
kind, knowing it to be such, for the sake of that evil, but 
for the sake of some real or supposed advantage ; though 
he may, and often does, submit to a smaller evil to avoid a 
greater one, or to a present evil for the sake of future good. 
It is in the same light we understand the apostle : we glory 
in tribulations, not because we love them for their own 
sake, but because they afford evidence of our being disciples 
of Jesus, who said to his followers, "In the world ye shall 
have tribulation, but be of good cheer : I have overcome the 
world." Paul said, too, " We must through much tribula- 
tion enter into the kingdom of God." When the Christian 
is beset with sore trouble, it is pleasant for him to reason 
thus : The children of God inherit tribulation, but I have 
tribulation, therefore, I am a child of God. Again, "whom 
the Lord loveth he chasteneth;" but I am chastened, there- 
fore the Lord loves me. And the revenue which he raises 
from his tribulation, is increased by the anticipation of 
being associated in heaven -with those "which came out 
of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made 
them white in the blood of the Lamb." 

We glory in tribulation, not only as affording evidence 
of discipleship, but also as a condition of receiving our 
final inheritance. Paul said to his son Timothy, "If we 
suffer, we shall also reign with him : if we deny him, he 
also will deny us ;" that is, Christ will deny us at the last 
day. There is a very express testimony on this point in 



106 THE CONNECTION OF THE GRACES. [SER. XI. 

the 8th chapter of Romans. " The Spirit itself beareth 
witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God : 
and if children, then heirs: heirs of God, and joint-heirs 
with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may 
be also glorified together. For I reckon, that the sufferings 
of this present time are not worthy to be compared with 
the glory which shall be revealed in us." From these 
authorities it is clear, that suffering with Christ as his 
disciples, is a condition of our being glorified with him. 
It is presumed, we all desire to be glorified with the Savior 
and his people in heaven; but if we would reign with him, 
we must be willing to suffer with him in the spirit of the 
apostles, who " departed from the presence of the council, 
rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame 
for his name." 

Again, "we glory in tribulations" as means of increasing 
our future felicity. Like the earthly warrior, who gathers 
laurels of honor, not from feasting in the tent with his 
friends, but from hard campaigns, perilous battles, and 
patiently enduring his toils and sufferings, the soldier of the 
cross derives a revenue from his persecutions, conflicts, and 
tribulations. This is a wholesome doctrine, and very full 
of comfort. "For our light affliction, .which is but for a 
moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal 
weight of glory ; while we look not at the things which 
are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the 
things which are seen are temporal ; but the things which 
are not seen are eternal." 

Another reason for glorying in tribulation is assigned on 
the face of the text, "Knowing that tribulation worketh 
patience." Patience signifies endurance under trials. If 
we are overtaken by providential affliction, and submit to 
it with resignation, this is patience ; or if we be persecuted 
and insulted by the enemies of the truth, and bear it with 
meekness, that is patience. There is no grace of the 






SER. XI.] THE CONNECTION OF THE GRACES. 107 

Spirit for which we have more frequent use than "the 
patience of the saints," because we are daily and hourly 
exposed to difficulties and trials of one sort or other. The 
advice of St. James is good: "Take, my brethren, the 
prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an 
example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, 
we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of 
the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord ; 
that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." The 
end which the Lord had in view was not Job's destruction, 
but his benefit ; for his last days were better than his first 
days; "And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when 
he prayed for his friends : also the Lord gave Job twice as 
much as he had before." Beside the benefit which accrued 
to himself, Job's example of patience under extraordinary 
suffering, has been the occasion of bringing much glory to 
God, and good to man. 

"Tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experi- 
ence." Experience means proof from trial, and is the 
result of experiment. A man may read the Scriptures, and 
hear them expounded until he forms a tolerable idea of the 
general theory of Christianity, and still be a stranger to the 
vital principle of religion ; but when he reduces his knowl- 
edge to practice, prays, repents, believes, receives pardon, 
and becomes regenerated by the Spirit of God, is "born 
again," then he understands the subject experimentally. 
The term experience is also used to signify knowledge 
derived from practice. Thus, by practice, a man becomes 
an experienced mariner, teacher, physician, or preacher, 
which gives him a great advantage over beginners in the 
same calling. In like manner, any one having the advan- 
tage of long continued practice in the duties and difficulties 
of our holy religion, may become an experienced Christian. 
He learns how to solve many questions of conscience once 



108 THE CONNECTION OF THE GRACES. [sER. XI. 

too deep for him, and becomes acquainted with many wiles 
of the enemy of souls to which he was at first a stranger. 

By the rule of experience every man may test the truth 
of the Bible for himself. Our Savior said, " My doctrine is 
not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his 
will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, 
or whether I speak of myself." Now, is it not worth the 
trial, seeing there is every thing to be gained, and nothing 
to be lost, by making the experiment ? Millions have tried 
it, and proved God's record true ; while seeking the Lord 
in earnest prayer, and with humble reliance upon the 
Savior, they "tasted the heavenly gift, and were made 
partakers of the Holy Ghost." You too may do the same ; 
for Jesus said, " Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and 
ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for 
every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, 
findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened." 
By this simple rule a child may test the truth of the sacred 
Scriptures, and confound a learned opponent. It is true, 
infidels may out-talk us on abstract questions, and even 
laugh at the idea of a man's feeling religion ; but none of 
these things move us: "He that belie veth on the Son of 
God hath the witness in himself." 

"Tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experi- 
ence ; and experience, hope." Here is a happy community 
of the graces of the Spirit, each subserving the interest of 
the others. The more tribulation we suffer, the more is 
patience tried ; and the more patience is called into requisi- 
tion, the more experience we have; and the more expe- 
rience we obtain, the stronger becomes our hope of heaven. 
Hope being a compound of desire and expectation, always 
has reference to future good. Some of the good things for 
which the Christian hopes, are, supporting grace through 
life, and consolation in death ; that his blood-washed spirit 
will be received into paradise, and his flesh "may rest in 



SER. XI.] THE CONNECTION OP THE GRACES. 109 

hope" till the morning of the general resurrection; that 
he will then awake with the likeness of the glorified 
humanity of Christ, and obtain an abundant admittance 
into the everlasting kingdom of God. 

"And hope maketh not ashamed: because the love 
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost 
which is given unto us." Is it any cause of shame to be 
the children of God by the Spirit of adoption, whereby we 
cry, "Abba, Father?" Shall we be ashamed of the great 
author of our being and well-being? of the manifestations 
of his love? of the agent which communicates it to our 
hearts, that is, the Holy Ghost? or of the pure and digni- 
fied channel through which it flows — the mediation of our 
Lord Jesus Christ ? 

"No, when I blush, be this my shame, 
That I no more revere his name." 

There are several considerations connected with this 
hope, which forbid the idea of being ashamed of it ; some 
of which we may be allowed to notice briefly. Was it 
ever known that a man was ashamed to be called the son 
of a wealthy and respectable father, and the heir of his 
estate? We presume not. But our heavenly Father owns 
the universe ; and being his children, we are his heirs, and 
all that he has belongs to us. All was made.for our accom- 
modation, and we inherit it by birth-right and promise, 
being "heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ." We 
may for a time be required to wait for a part of our patri- 
mony, but the inheritance is finally sure to the faithful; 
"For all things are yours ; whether Paul, or Apollos, or 
Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, 
or things to come ; all are yours ; and ye are Christ's : and 
Christ is God's." 

Was it ever known that any individual was ashamed 
of having honorable relatives, whether made so by wealth, 
learning, intelligence, virtue, office, or otherwise? Cer- 

10 



110 THE CONNECTION OF THE GRACES. (jSER. XI. 

tainly not. "Well, we who have the hope above described, 
belong to the family of God and the household of faith ; 
prophets and apostles, saints and martyrs, are our kindred; 
we humbly trust that God is our Father, and Christ our 
elder brother; that heaven will be our permanent home, 
angels our intimate friends, and redeemed spirits our broth- 
ers and sisters, with whom we expect to dwell for ever in 
worlds of light and glory ; and sing, " Unto him that loved 
us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and 
hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father ; 
to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." 

Was any man of the world ever ashamed of living in a 
fine house ? We judge not. Some of us who profess this 
hope live in rather poor houses now, and some of us, like 
our Master before us, have none that we can call our own; 
but we can afford to feel reconciled to this for a season, 
because we expect soon to remove from our old smoky 
tenement into a new and splendid habitation, which is 
fitted up for us in good style; "For we know that if our 
earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a 
building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in 
the heavens." 

Death will bring great changes in the condition, both 
of the righteous and unrighteous. We could point you to 
a thoughtless sinner, residing in a splendid mansion, orna- 
mented with costly sideboards and mirrors, where he feasts 
and figures among his numerous guests, while God is not 
in all his thoughts — till suddenly he is arrested by the 
awful message, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be 
required of thee." How fearful the transition from his 
festive scenes to the dark domains of endless despair! But 
here is a child of God, poor and afflicted, residing in a rude 
and time-worn hut, where he lingers out the remnant of his 
days in want, neglect, and sorrow ; yet he is the son of a 
king, and an heir of heaven. In due time his heavenly 



SER. XII.] THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. Ill 

Father sends for him ; and leaving his wretched habitation 
and all his poverty and trouble behind, attended by a con- 
voy of shining angels, and cheered with songs of deliver- 
ance, he enters the everlasting temple of peace and blessed- 
ness above, to mingle with countless multitudes of saints 
and angels, where none but the pure in heart are admitted. 
And do any of you imagine that we shall ever be ashamed 
of the hope of, such honors and pleasures as these ? No, 
never. We are not ashamed to be made the distinguished 
subjects of this hope, or to use the means to obtain it; 
when we enjoy it, we are not ashamed to profess it, and 
feel an earnest of its promised blessings. " Now our Lord 
Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which 
hath loved lis, and hath given us everlasting consolation 
and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and 
establish you in every good word and work." 



SERMON XII. 

THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. 

Preached in the Ninth-street Church, Cincinnati, on the first Sabbath 
of November, 1839, at the funeral of Col. Wm. M'Lean. 

Bishop Morbis, — Dear Brother — For myself, and at the solicita- 
tion of the family and friends of Mr. M'Lean, I would kindly ask the 
publication of the Sermon preached by you at his funeral. I hope your 
time and labors may permit you to comply with our request. 

Yours truly, E. W. Sehost. 

Cincinnati, O., April 5, 1841. 

Rev. E. W. Sehon, — Dear Brother — I cheerfully comply with the 
request of yourself, and the family and friends of Col. M'Lean, to sub- 
mit for publication the Discourse delivered at his funeral. Aided by 
short notes which were made, though not publicly used on the occa- 
sion, I have been enabled, even at this late period, to write it out sub- 
stantially as it was delivered ; and the biographical sketch appended, 
is precisely as it was read before the congregation. Of the remarks 
which preceded the announcement of the text, on the subject of my 



112 THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. [sER. XII. 

personal friendship for the deceased, and the consequent fear of embar- 
rassment on that account, arising from sympathy, I made no notes, and 
cannot therefore repeat them. I, however, take great pleasure in refer- 
ring to the agreeable acquaintance which I had with brother M'Lean 
for some years before his death. I think I knew him well, and the 
longer and more intimate our acquaintance became, the more he gained 
on my affections. To say all in a few words, I regarded him as an 
intelligent, amiable man, and a truly pious Christian. I had officiated 
at the funerals of four of his children, and had felt much sympathy 
on those occasions ; but the most sorrowful duty imposed on me, was, 
to preach his own funeral sermon. 

Yours sincerely, Tho. A. Moanis. 

Cincinnati, 0., April 8, 1841. 

" If a man die, shall he live again 1 all the days of my appointed 
time will I wait, till my change come," Job xiv, 14. 

Man is distinguished from all other living creatures by 
his bodily form. Walking erect with firm step, lofty 
bearing, and his countenance glowing with intelligence, he 
appears, even now in his fallen state, to afford some indi- 
cation that he was originally created in the image of God; 
and so admirably is his form adapted to all the ends of prac- 
tical life, that the very structure of his body authorizes us 
to infer, he was made for some noble purpose. He is, 
however, still more prominently distinguished from all the 
tribes of living creatures around him, by the faculties of his 
mind. Endued with perception, memory, reason, judgment, 
conscience and volition, so wonderful are the operations 
of the human mind as to "scrutinize an atom and grasp a 
universe;" and by persevering investigation, aided by his- 
tory, observation and prophecy, to form some general idea 
of the past, present and future, thus drawing around him 
almost boundless resources of entertainment, instruction and 
pleasure from the works of God. Another distinguishing 
characteristic of man, is his faculty of exact communication 
to his fellow-man. So perfect is the art of conversation, 
that thought answers to thought, while word responds to 



SER. XII.] THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. 113 

word; and two individuals adhering to the principle of 
truth, can put each other in possession of all that is passing 
in their minds and feelings. Hence, the great pleasure 
which results from well ordered, social life, especially 
where kindred or congenial spirits meet. After this rapid 
view of the noble endowments of man, we may the better 
appreciate the words of David: "I will praise thee; fori 
am fearfully and wonderfully made." 

In the midst of these pleasant reflections, how affecting 
is the thought, man dies. Job was so moved by this 
solemn consideration as to exclaim, " O that thou wouldest 
hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, 
until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a 
set time, and" remember me." The purport of Job's prayer 
was, that the Lord would conceal his body in the grave, 
that his spirit might be hid with Christ in God, that the 
Lord would appoint a set time for his resurrection, and 
remember him in that day, and keep him till the divine 
wrath was past, or till the dominion of the grave should be 
broken. The question proposed in the text, " If a man 
die, shall he live again?" does not express any doubt of the 
resurrection, but implies strong confidence in the whole 
doctrine of a future state, as is evident from the answer 
which the author returns to his own inquiry, " All the days 
of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come" — 
from life to the grave, and from thence to life everlasting. 
So assured was Job of his own resurrection, that he immedi- 
ately added, "Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee:" 
thou shalt at the last day speak with the voice that wakes 
the dead, and I awaking from the long slumber of the tomb 
will respond, Here am I, Lord. 

While dwelling a few minutes on this deeply interesting 
subject, we propose, 

I. To speak of man in regard to his origin. 

Man, in his fallen and bewildered state, is prone to think 
10* 



114 THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. [sER. XII. 

of himself more highly than he ought to think ; and if left to 
his own darkness and imbecility, might easily fall into the 
mistaken notion, that his species had existed always, that 
his going forth had been of old from everlasting ; for what 
error are we secure against, when blind reason is left to 
grope her way, unaided by revelation. But the history 
of man's creation, short and simple as it is, prevents all 
fatal mistake on the subject. The material point in that 
history is this: "And the Lord God formed man of the 
dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath 
of life ; and man became a living soul." Connected with 
this important fact, is an account of the creation of woman, 
and the instruction which the Lord gave to Adam and Eve 
for the propagation of posterity, which need not be now 
repeated. It is proper to add here, that no satisfactory 
account of our origin has ever been given, except the above ; 
and no wise man will throw that away, until he obtains a 
better. 

A little reflection on the Bible history of man's origin 
would be an excellent corrective of our pride. The sum 
of every man's biography is this: "In the sweat of thy 
face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground ; 
for out of it wast thou taken : for dust thou art, and unto 
dust shalt thou return." What then have we to be proud 
of? Extended tracts of land ? All we shall presently need 
is what will be sufficient to conceal our lothsome remains 
from public view. Are we proud of fine houses and furni- 
ture? We shall soon be in the charnel house, stripped of 
all but shroud and coffin. Are we proud of our person and 
features? They will soon be putrid and marred by the 
filthiest reptiles of earth. Are we proud of our fine 
apparel? Alas, it is borrowed from the stock, silk-worm, 
or sheep. Are we proud of our offices and titles? What 
will they avail us when we are laid down in the grave on a 
level with beggars, and our souls are called to give an 



SER. XII.] THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. 115 

account of the deeds done in the body. Such thoughts of 
the folly of men are sufficient to call forth the exclamation 
of the prophet, "O that they were wise, that they under- 
stood this, that they would consider their latter end." 

The means originally instituted to perpetuate the life 
of man on earth, were all forfeited by transgression, leaving 
him subject to death as a just penalty for his rebellion, 
with the privilege in the meantime of procuring a tempo- 
rary subsistence by tilling the ground from whence he was 
taken. All this is set forth in the history of the fall. 
"And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as 
one of us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put 
forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and 
live for ever : therefore the Lord God sent him forth from 
the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was 
taken. So he drove out the man: and he placed at the 
east of the garden of Eden cherubims, and a flaming sword 
which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of 
life." From this language it may be inferred, that the 
properties of the tree of life were such as could have per- 
petuated the life of man, even as a fallen creature ; but as it 
would be a curse rather than a blessing to live for ever in a 
sinful world with all its woes, God wisely and mercifully 
cut off man's access to that tree, and required him, in view 
of ample. Gospel provision, to prepare for death and a better 
world.* We now come to speak, 

II. Of man under the dominion of death. 

The cause of death is sin ; for death was not natural to 
man in his original state of purity and innocence, but was 
inflicted by reason of transgression, and is therefore judicial. 
Of this fatal consequence of man's rebellion, the Lord gave 
him faithful and timely warning. " And the Lord God 
commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden 
thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge 
of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day 



116 THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MA.N. [sER. XII. 

that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." He did die 
on that day spiritually; he forfeited his union with God, 
• and lost his favor and image, and became subject to tempo- 
ral death, with all his fallen posterity. Hence, Paul said 
to the Romans, ""Wherefore, as by one man sin entered 
into the world, and death by sin ; and so death passed upon 
all men, for that all have sinned," &c. It is clear from 
these authorities that death is judicial ; that it is the penalty 
of sin, and will be inflicted on all, because all have sinned 
and come short of the glory of God. 

Death is spoken of and presented under a variety of 
figures, and is thereby rendered the more impressive. 
Life being compared to a journey, death is called the end, 
and sometimes the "latter end." It is also called sleep, 
because it shuts us out from the light and visible objects 
of time and sense ; and sometimes a " dead sleep," because 
it is a state from which we cannot be roused, except by the 
power of God. Death is sometimes compared to a cruel 
monarch, waging a war of extermination on all the human 
race; and is styled "the King of terrors," because to most 
people it is an object of fear. We also read of a frightful 
spectre riding on a pale horse, whose name is Death. But 
after all, death is only the absence of life, as darkness is 
the absence of light. It has no real form, no positive exis- 
tence ; and the change called death, is perfectly harmless in 
reference to those who are in a state of preparation to com- 
mence a future existence. 

Death is best understood, by considering its effects upon 
us and our pursuits and circumstances. It dissolves all our 
temporal connections with men and things ; causes the wife 
to be free from the law of her husband, and the servant 
from his master ; vacates the offices we fill, and the houses 
we occupy, and severs entirely our connection with the 
world. Death also terminates all our active pursuits : stops 
the plough of the husbandman, silences the clatter of the 



SER. XII.] THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. 117 

mechanic's shop, winds up the busy scenes of the mercan- 
tile house, arrests the traveler on his journey, stays the 
tumult of the election, checks the exciting procedure of the 
court, seals the tongue of the orator in profound silence, 
and paralizes the arm of the warrior for ever ; and what is 
still more important, death puts a full period to our proba- 
tionary state, if indeed it does not in some cases terminate 
sooner. The light of conviction is shed upon every man 
that comes into the world — the grace of repentance is freely 
offered to all; and in view of this, God "commandeth all 
men everywhere to repent." What we do must be done 
quickly. Now we live in the land of hope, and a day of 
merciful visitation is afforded us, but it will not last always ; 
by grieving the Holy Spirit, we may induce him to depart 
and return no more, which would leave us helpless and 
hopeless ; but placing the matter on the most favorable 
ground, our probation, at farthest, will end with life. The 
living would do well to heed the admonition of the wise 
man: " Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy 
might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, 
nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest." 

Death not only terminates this state of being, with 
all its cares and privileges, pursuits and prospects, but 
introduces us at once into another state, with all its 
untried realities, where we shall commence an eternity 
of bliss or woe. It is this consideration alone which 
attaches to death most of all the importance which can be 
justly claimed for it. In the mere circumstance of dis- 
solution, there is little to hope or fear; but the results 
which follow, are of infinite importance to us individually. 
If the consequences of death ended with the sufferings 
which produce it, it would be no more than we have sub- 
stantially suffered already; for there is a point beyond 
which human nature cannot suffer. When we reach that 
point, conscious suffering ceases; so that all who have 



118 THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. [sER. XII. 

suffered from any cause, till they were no longer sensible 
of their misery, have felt, substantially, all they will feel 
when soul and body are parting. Again, if death only 
separated us from all earthly friends, and dissolved the 
social ties of life, it would be quite analogous to the com- 
mencement of a long journey or sea voyage, when we part 
with our friends, doubting whether we shall ever see them 
again. Or if death merely terminated the business and 
cares of life, it would be very much like finishing a day's 
work or a day's journey ; and, finally, if death only intro- 
duced us to the silence of the grave, and shut us out from 
the view of all terrestrial things, it would then very much 
resemble going to sleep on a cold winter's night. But it is 
certain, that the prospect of immediate death produces a 
sensation altogether different from any thing which belongs 
to these transitions ; because it is a change by which we not 
only cease to exist here, but by which we are ushered into 
the light of eternity and the presence of God, the righteous 
judge of quick and dead. We have heard of a military 
character, who had braved the terror of many battles with- 
out flinching, but who subsequently, in view of approach- 
ing death, with time for reflection, betrayed some mis- 
giving. When his friend asked him the question, "Are 

you afraid to die, Col. ?" "No," said he, "but I 

am afraid to go to judgment." 

III. We shall now speak of man in reference to his 
future prospects. 

Here it may be proper just to remark, that all beyond the 
present life is enveloped in darkness, and covered with 
doubt and uncertainty, except when received through the 
medium of divine revelation. It is only when we take the 
Bible for our directory, and the Lord Jesus Christ for our 
Redeemer, that we can enjoy a well founded hope of a 
blissful immortality ; but with the Bible in our hand, and 
Christ formed in our heart the hope of glory, we view by 



SER. XII.] THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. 119 

faith "the kingdom which God hath promised to them that 
love him." What a blessed truth is contained in the 
words of Paul to Timothy, " Our Savior Jesus Christ, 
hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality 
to light through the Gospel." 

Keeping this system in view, man has a certain prospect 
that his spirit will survive the dissolution of his body ; for 
when the silver cord of life shall be loosed, says Solo- 
mon, " Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was ; 
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." What 
reception the disembodied spirit shall meet with from Him 
who gave it, will depend on the preparation sought and 
obtained in this life. If cleansed through faith in the blood 
of the Lamb, it will be welcomed to "the abode of angels 
and God;" but if not, she only 

"Ascends to God, not there to dwell; 
But hears her doom, and sinks to hell." 

Another thing which man has in prospect, is a partial 
reward in the intermediate state between death and the 
final judgment. There is a clear distinction made in the 
sacred Scriptures between the intermediate and final state 
after the general resurrection. The penitent thief, on the 
cross, said unto Jesus, "Lord, remember me when thou 
comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, 
Verily, I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in 
paradise." The Savior undoubtedly fulfilled this promise, 
and received the redeemed spirit of the penitent into para- 
dise, the place of happy separate spirits ; yet, when Mary 
first saw him on the day of his resurrection, he said unto 
her, "Touch me not: for I am not yet ascended to my 
Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I 
ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God 
and your God." Here is conclusive evidence, that though 
Christ had been in the place of separate spirits, or para- 
dise, between his death and resurrection, and had met the 



120 THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. [SER. XII. 

penitent there according to promise, yet he had not ascend- 
ed to God, to the kingdom of ultimate glory whence he 
came, whither he was bound with his risen, glorified body, 
and where all the saints will be collected after the general 
resurrection. 

In the intermediate state, the righteous enjoy conscious 
happiness, and the unrighteous suffer conscious misery. 
Of this truth, we have striking examples in the cases of the 
rich man and Lazarus. "The beggar died, and was car- 
ried by angels into Abraham's bosom," or paradise: "the 
rich man also died, and was buried ; and in hell he lifted 
up his eyes, being in torment." Here he begged for 
water to cool his tongue, saying, "For I am tormented in 
this flame." Abraham replied, "Son, remember that thou 
in thy life time receivedst thy good things, and likewise 
Lazarus evil things : but now he is comforted, and thou art 
tormented." Such is the account given by the Son of God 
of two disembodied spirits, one was comforted, and the 
other tormented ; and in them we have a clear illustration 
of the respective conditions of all separate spirits, according 
to their character, both righteous and unrighteous: still 
they had not their full reward. Lazarus was comforted in 
Abraham's bosom, but he will be more comforted when he 
shall be glorified, soul and body, in "the kingdom which 
God hath promised to them that love him;" and the rich 
man was tormented in flame, but he will be still more 
tormented, when he shall be cast, soul and body, into "the 
lake that burns with fire and brimstone." 

Before we pass to the next point, we shall endeavor to 
illustrate this doctrine by a familiar comparison, and con- 
firm it by Scripture authority. Suppose a man to commit 
murder, be tried, convicted, sentenced to death, and 
confined in prison, waiting the day of his execution; his 
conscience condemns him, and he has a fearful sense of the 
violent death which awaits him ; but he does not yet suffer 



SER. XII.] THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. 121 

the full penalty of the law. In this supposed case, we have 
some idea of the real case of the sinner who -dies in sin, 
reads his crimes in the light of eternity, receives the 
sentence of death in himself; and while his body is in the 
grave and his spirit in the prison of hell — while his heart 
condemns him and he knows that God is greater than his 
heart, and will condemn him at the last day, he has an 
awful sense of his final destiny ; but he will not suffer the 
full penalty of the divine law until after judgment, when 
his soul and body, reunited, will be "cast into the lake 
of fire and brimstone." This view of the subject is abun- 
dantly sustained by the 20th chapter of Revelation, where 
it is said, "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; 
and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in 
them : and they were judged every man according to their 
works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. 
This is the second death." Now, when death or the grave 
which contains the bodies, and hell which contains the 
souls of the wicked, shall both be cast into the lake of fire, 
called in the same chapter the lake of fire and brimstone, 
with all their guilty inhabitants, then, but not till then, will 
the sinner suffer the full weight of divine wrath due for his 
transgressions. 

The distinction made by the sacred writers between 
paradise and the kingdom of heaven, in reference to the 
righteous, is similar to that between hell and the lake 
of fire, in reference to the wicked. Suppose a man wills 
his son a large estate, but being a minor, he can for the 
present only enjoy so much thereof as will board, clothe 
and educate him ; and though he knows a fortune awaits 
him, he cannot receive the inheritance in full till he is of 
lawful age. In like manner, the disembodied spirit of the 
good man in paradise enjoys his reward in part. He is as 
happy as he can be in the absence of his body, and he 
knows that the kingdom of glory will be his after the resur- 

11 



122 THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. [sER. XII. 

rection, but he cannot enter on the full possession and 
enjoyment of it till the general judgment. "Then shall 
the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye bles- 
sed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world," which is conclusive 
evidence they do not inherit that kingdom now. 

The next thing in course, which man has in prospect, is 
the resurrection of the body. The doctrine of the resur- 
rection is purely a Bible doctrine, and one which we never 
could have conceived, much less understood, without a 
revelation on the subject; but now since it is revealed, it 
appears as reasonable as any other doctrine peculiar to the 
Christian system. Our belief of this doctrine, however, is 
sustained, not by any course of abstract reasoning on natural 
and philosophic principles, but by divine authority. We 
fully believe the human body now committed to the grave 
will be restored to life ; because the wisdom, truth, power 
and goodness of God are pledged for its accomplishment. 
" Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, 
that God should raise the dead?" Is he who formed the 
body out of the dust, not able to resuscitate it after it returns 
to dust? and has he not declared, "The hour is coming, 
in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 
and shall come forth ; they that have done good unto the 
resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the 
resurrection of damnation ?" aTes, verily; and Paul says, 
" There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just 
and unjust." The resurrection of Christ is practical proof 
of the doctrine. 

This doctrine, though awful to the wicked, is exceed- 
ingly full of consolation to the people of God. It is 
pleasant to be assured by Him who cannot err, that these 
bodies, subject to cold and heat, weariness and hunger, 
sickness and pain, death and decay, will be restored to life 
everlasting, where they will' be for ever free from affliction. 



SER. XII.] THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. 123 

This pleasure receives additional strength from the con- 
sideration that the second edition is to be greatly improved ; 
the contrast between the mortal body and the incorruptible 
body is striking. Paul said to the Corinthians, "It is 
sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption : it is sown 
in dishonor, it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness, 
it is raised in power : it is sown a natural body, it is raised 
a spiritual body." These graphic terms of the inspired 
apostle, are ample proof that the change will be glorious 
beyond description. The bodies of the saints, when com- 
mitted to the dust, are cold and dim as death; but when 
raised in the likeness of the glorified humanity of Jesus, 
they will be full of life and splendor, and appear like mil- 
lions of suris breaking on our spiritual vision at once. 
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resur- 
rection." He shall be saved with all the power of an end- 
less life. 

In view of this subject, we may feel authorized to receive 
much consolation in reference to our deceased pious friends. 
Though dead, they live in a better world. Their life is 
hid with Christ in God. Their spirits reign with him in 
paradise, and their flesh rests in hope of a glorious resur- 
rection; " For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, 
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring 
with him." We hope to see them in that day, when the 
Lord shall make up his jewels, and with them mingle in 
that innumerable company which no man can number, that 
come up out of great tribulation, having washed their robes, 
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

This subject was suggested by the sickness and death 
of our lamented friend and brother, Col. W. M'Lean, of 
whose public life we would not speak only so far as is 
necessary to set forth his Christian character. He was a 
native of Mason county, Ky., but spent most of his life, 
which terminated at the age of forty-five years, in Ohio. 



124 THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. (j3ER. XII. 

An important point in his history was his early piety. He 
embraced religion at the age of sixteen years, and ever after 
adhered strictly to his Christian profession ; which, doubt- 
less, exerted a powerful influence in preserving him from 
the fashionable vices of this generation. We do not claim 
for him entire exemption from the errors incident to mortal 
life; but take great pleasure in saying, he was never so 
much as charged with a crime or dishonorable act; and 
such was the urbanity of his manners, that he had as few 
enemies as any other man, whose life was equally public 
in our country. It is true, he was playful in his natural 
disposition; and among his particular friends, occasionally 
indulged in much pleasantry ; but it was all of an innocent 
kind, and he never compromited his Christian character. 
Many public men, who seem to be pious at home, dispense 
with their religious duties and habits when they go 
abroad and enter on public life; but not so with brother 
M'Lean. Whether engaged as editor of a political journal, 
receiver of the public moneys, attending the courts as a 
practical lawyer, or attending the Congress of the United 
States, of which he was a member some six years, he still 
maintained his Christian principles and character — attend- 
ing to his class-meetings and other duties as punctually at 
Washington, as he did at home; which was much to his 
credit, and that of the cause he professed to love. 

Brother M'Lean was also a highly useful member of the 
Church. His house was at all times the home of ministers, 
where they were at once made welcome and comfortable ; 
and his money was freely bestowed for charitable and 
religious purposes; and while he honored God in this 
respect, the Lord honored him. He was blest in his basket 
and store, had enough and to spare while he lived, and 
enough to leave his family in easy and comfortable circum- 
stances. When not called off on public business, he usual- 
ly filled, among his brethren, the important offices of class- 



SER. XII.] THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. 125 

leader, steward and trustee, and always with credit to 
himself, and usefulness to the Church; and we hope he 
will have many stars in his crown of rejoicing in the day 
of the Lord Jesus. 

In 1836, he was arrested with hemorrhage from the 
lungs, from which time his health declined, with various 
changes not material to name, till deep-seated pulmonary 
consumption claimed him as its victim. Last winter, by 
the advice of his physicians and friends, he spent some 
time in the Island of Cuba, in hope of receiving permanent 
relief; where he suffered many privations and incon- 
veniences, but without realizing any lasting benefit. 
Shortly after his return, it became apparent that he was no 
better, and probably never would be ; whereupon he com- 
menced making such disposition of his temporal business 
as his circumstances seemed to call for ; and continued to 
seek with increased diligence a preparation for another 
world. After disposing of his mercantile interest on Pearl- 
street, he seemed to be nearly done with and relieved of all 
care about the things which perish with the using. His 
next struggle was to give up his beloved family. ■ Some- 
times, when seated in the family circle, silently musing, he 
would look round on the objects of his affection, and sud- 
denly find relief in a flood of tears. Conversing about his 
family on one occasion with an intimate friend, he said, 
"He should leave them in good hands," and prayed most 
ardently that they might meet him in heaven. He added, 
"It was hard to leave them." Still in this he was singu- 
larly favored; "for," said lie, "one-half of my dear chil- 
dren have gone before me, and by parting with these here, 
I shall immediately be introduced to those above;" and 
then, with strong affection, repeated the names of his six 
children in glory. In reference to the difficulty of giving 
up his family, he applied at the right source for help ; and 
though the struggle was severe at first, it ended in complete 
11* 



126 THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. [sER. XII. 

triumph on his part. On a certain memorable night, his 
companion discovered him at a late hour much engaged in 
prayer for his family, dedicating them severally and collec- 
tively to God; and being in an agony he prayed more 
earnestly, till the sweat rolled profusely off him, when the 
Lord heard and answered, so that ever after his mind was 
calm and resigned in reference to that subject. No doubt 
the Lord said to him, substantially, "Leave thy fatherless 
children with me, and let thy widow trust in me." 

In reference to his own case, brother M'Lean was favored 
with much resignation and consolation, and finally with 
most glorious triumph through faith in the blood of the 
Lamb. From among the numerous items of information on 
this subject, we will name the few following as specimens 
of the whole. They are such as might be expected in the 
case of one who had so long stood up in the cause of his 
divine Master. From one well known in this Church, I 
received the following testimony: "I have been intimately 
acquainted with him since 1812, (nearly thirty years,) have 
met with him almost every year more or less in the class- 
room, and from that time until the last, in these meetings 
he was always comforted and greatly delighted, regarding 
them as a special privilege. All his life, considering the 
position in which he was placed, has, in some good degree, 
shed a lustre on the cause of religion. Still, as you know, 
none was more unassuming, or unwilling to receive the 
praise of men, than was brother M'Lean. He always 
seemed humble, and was ready to be directed in spiritual 
matters by the most obscure whom he thought pious. The 
last three years, his health had been gradually declining ; 
he was fully convinced that his end was drawing near ; and 
in view of his family and friends, the thought was painful ; 
but as his affliction increased, his soul gathered strength, 
and he determined to set his house in order. Last June, he 
disposed of his worldly business, evidently expecting soon 



SER. XII.] THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. 127 

to enter into another state of being. During his confine- 
ment for several weeks before his death, I was with him 
several times a day ; he repeatedly told me that he anxious- 
ly waited the hour of his departure. Some two weeks 
before the last struggle, I called in one morning and found 
him very feeble. I told him the air was heavy and would 
make much against him, but he must not let his spirits 
sink. To which he very promptly replied, ' My dear sir, 
be assured my spirits were never better. My body is feeble, 
but my soul is happy, and I look beyond these scenes of af- 
fliction and sorrow.' During the late session of the confer- 
ence in this city, he was visited by many of his old friends in 
the ministry, and among others by father Collins, who was 
his spiritual father, received him into the Church, and subse- 
quently married him, and for whom he always had a great 
veneration and affection. On parting with brother Collins a 
few days before his death, he said, ' Father Collins, I am 
sorry to part with you, but it will not be long until we meet 
in heaven ;' and exulted in the prospect of hailing him there. 
As he approached near his end, his confidence in God 
seemed to increase. He several times asked me, ' How 
long do you think I shall yet have to suffer?' and would 
always say, 'If it was the will of God, he should rejoice 
to go.' The night before his death was one of extreme 
suffering ; still he murmured not, but maintained his confi- 
dence firm unto his latest breath. When he could no 
longer speak, he raised his hand in token of his future 
prospects. I think among the last things I heard him say, 
was, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'" Such is the 
honorable testimony of one who knew him long and well. 
But we are not done. 

One of our ministers, closely connected with his own 
family, through whom I obtained most of this sketch, and 
who was with him much, and with him to the end, has 
furnished the following particulars of his case. After 



128 THE THREE-FOLD STATE OF MAN. [sER. XII. 

alluding to his declining health, the writer says, "He 
became convinced that all remedies must prove ineffectual, 
and that soon his days were to be numbered. Like the 
wise man, and in strict accordance with his previous life, 
and his faith in Christ, he immediately commenced his full 
preparation for eternity, to which his whole time seemed 
to be given. He suffered much, yet in all he was patient 
and perfectly resigned. To all who approached him, he 
expressed his readiness and willingness to meet death, 
while he ever acknowledged his strength firm in his God. 
In the midst of sufferings severe and extremely painful, he 
never murmured or complained, but was calm, and his 
mind perfectly staid on God. A few days before his 
death, the writer remarked to him, when they were alone, 
that he suffered much, but soon his sufferings would be over. 
To which he replied, calmly and submissively, « Yes f 
and taking the writer's hand, and looking him full in the 
face, added, < If it were my gracious Master's will, I should 
rejoice if it were soon? On the evening preceding his 
death, the writer was sent for in haste to see him die. He 
soon arrived, and found his bed surrounded by his weeping 
family and friends. He had a paroxysm of coughing, 
seemed to suffocate, and was to appearance almost gone ; 
his extremities were cold, and he was incapable of speech. 
From this state, however, he gradually revived, but only to 
endure greater sufferings for some hours longer. Prayer 
was offered around his bed. In answer to questions by his 
wife and others, he always gave indications of the presence 
and goodness of God. When he could speak, brother 
Reeves asked him, if now in such great pain, aud so near 
the grave, Jesus was still precious? He replied quickly 
and strongly, *0 yes;' and immediately added, 'Lord 
Jesus, receive my spirit.' Life was fast ebbing away. He 
could no longer, without painful exertion, articulate. His 
wife requested him, if God was still with him to raise his 



SER. XIII.] RELIGIOUS VOWS. 129 

hand, which he immediately did; thus silently, but deci- 
sively proclaiming victory over death, his latest foe. Many 
other things occurred, only one of which I will name. For 
two hours before he expired, his pain seemed much abated. 
About ten minutes previous to his death, he asked his wife 
to turn him in bed. This done, he was asked if he could 
not now rest a little ? To which he replied, « I shall soon 
gain an eternal rest.' These were his last words. In a 
few moments, without a sigh or groan, he slept in Jesus." 
Though dead, his spirit lives in regions of light and glory, 
while his flesh rests in hope, waiting the days of his 
appointed time till his change come, when God will call 
him forth to mingle for ever with the redeemed. 

Before we' close, permit us to add, we have just learned 
that the venerable mother of the deceased, who resided in 
Warren county, O., departed this life on last Friday morn- 
ing, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years, in full pros- 
pect of endless life. Her last words were, " Peace, peace, 
peace." We decline any attempt to describe the joyful 
meeting above of the mother and son, or the father and his 
six little children. 



SERMON XIII. 

RELIGIOUS VOWS. 

" Pay thy vows unto the Most High," Psalm 1, 14. 
One proof of human depravity is our proneness to neglect 
religious duties; hence the numerous charges which the 
Scriptures urge against God*s people for the sin of negli- 
gence. Jacob, who perhaps was as pious as any of his 
day, on his way to Padan-aram, after his very remarkable 
vision, "vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, 
and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me 
bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to 
my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my 



130 RELIGIOUS VOWS. [sER. XIII 

God : and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be 
God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me, I will 
surely give the tenth unto thee." According to his own 
proposition, the Lord was with him in great mercy ; gave 
him a family, and large possessions in Padan-aram, where 
he sojourned for many years; then overruled the wrath 
of his enemies, and brought him in peace back to his own 
country ; but instead of worshiping God, and giving him a 
tenth of all his treasure, he went to Shalem and erected an 
altar there, where he was visited with sore evils for his 
ingratitude to God. After this, " God said unto Jacob, 
Arise, go up to Beth-el, and dwell there : and make there an 
altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest 
from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto 
his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the 
strange gods that are among you — and let us arise, and go 
up to Beth-el ; and I will make there an altar unto God, 
who answered me in the day of my distress." Thus passed 
off more than thirty years from the time that "Jacob 
vowed," under such solemn circumstances, before he paid 
nis vow. But in this sin he was not alone. The Lord 
said to Israel, as the context reads, "Hear, O my people, 
and I will speak; Israel, and I will testify against 
thee: I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove 
thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt-offerings, to have been 
continually before me." In these respects I have no fault 
to find; but while you outwardly perform these duties, 
there is an inward disaffection ; therefore I ask not for sacri- 
fices, but "offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy 
vows unto the Most High." We shall endeavor to show, 

I. The nature of religious vows. 

II. Some cases in which we have failed to fulfill our 
vows. 

III. How we should be affected with a sense of these 
failures. 



SER. XIII.] RELIGIOUS VOWS. 131 

IV. Conclude by enforcing the admonition, "Pay thy 
vows," &c. 

I. A vow is a solemn promise to God, to offer him some 
sacrifice or render to him some service, and is substantially 
the same as what we more commonly call, a pious resolu- 
tion. Thus David sang, "Praise waiteth for thee, O God, 
in Zion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed." 

Such vows have an important use ; that is, to impress 
our minds with a sense of obligation. Suppose a man 
should purpose in himself, at one time, to make a donation 
for the purpose of aiding his neighbors to build a house 
of worship, yet without any expression of that purpose ; 
but at another time the same claim is presented before him, 
when he is less under the influence of benevolence, and to 
excuse himself he reasons on this wise : " True, I did intend 
to do this work, but did I express that intention? is my 
name on any subscription paper ? or did I give any verbal 
promise? No; and, therefore, I now decline." Whereas, 
if he had promised to do what he intended, and what he 
still admits to be right in itself, it would have been per- 
formed. The application is easy. The Spirit of God 
operates on all men, but sometimes more powerfully than 
at others ; then the sinner desires and resolves to seek and 
serve the Lord ; but when he is less impressed with divine 
influence, he begins to draw back, and say, " Though I fully 
intended to seek God and serve him, yet did I make any 
particular engagement? am I a professor? does my name 
stand recorded on any Church-book ? or did I ever openly 
profess my convictions of duty? No; and, therefore, I 
can now abandon that intention." But if he had proceeded 
to carry out his intention when he deeply felt the neces- 
sity of religion, by committing himself as a seeker of it, he 
might ever after have felt himself under a double obligation 
to persevere. 

We should enter upon our sacred vows with great rever- 



132 RELIGIOUS VOWS. [SER. XIII. 

ence ; knowing that God is great and we are little, that he 
is in heaven and we are upon earth, our words before him 
should be few and well chosen. We should vow unto 
God with much humility, seeing we are unworthy, depen- 
dent, helpless, needing all things, and deserving nothing; 
and with the utmost sincerity, because God cannot be 
deceived, and will not be mocked, but requires " truth in 
the inward parts." 

When made, our vows bring us under high and heavy 
responsibility. If when we voluntarily enter into an 
engagement with man, we are bound to make it good on 
pain of losing our reputation, how much more are we 
obliged by our covenant engagements with God? And 
if men will trifle with their more sacred obligations to the 
Almighty, who can safely trust them in their less important 
ones to man? Therefore, Solomon saith, "When thou 
vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no 
pleasure in fools : pay that which thou hast vowed. Better 
is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest 
vow and not pay." 

II. Some instances in which we have made, but failed to 
pay our vows. Perhaps this charge may implicate all; 
for who in this assembly has not, earlier or later, 
solemnly promised before God to do better? And who has 
fully kept that promise ? To be more particular, we begin 
with ourselves who minister in holy things. Let us, my 
brethren in the ministry, recollect our ordination vow, in 
which Ave promised to employ our "whole time in the 
work of God;" but who of us has punctually kept this 
promise? Alas, how many precious moments have we 
wasted in doing nothing, or worse than nothing? The 
private members of the Church may also be involved in 
delinquency. Have we, as members of the body of Christ, 
paid all our vows? No. Our baptismal vow was to 
"renounce the vain pomp and glory of the world, the devil 



SEIi. XIII.] RELIGIOUS VOWS. 133 

and all his works, the carnal desires and lusts of the flesh, 
so that we would not be led or governed by them;" after 
all which we have, in many cases, followed the lying vani- 
ties of the world, the devices of Satan, and the perverseness 
of our own hearts, and we cannot deny it. Consider our 
sacramental vows. As by baptism, we take on ourselves the 
profession of the name of Christ, so by the holy sacrament 
of the eucharist, we, from time to time, renew that profes- 
sion. Indeed, every time we commune at the Lord's table, 
we virtually take the oath of allegiance to the Lord Jesus, 
to be for him, and him only ; and yet how many, after this 
most solemn of all dedications, deny him like Peter, betray 
him like Judas, and " crucify to themselves the Son of God 
afresh." As seekers of religion, we have vowed to give 
up the world with its follies, sin with its false pleasures, 
and never cease seeking until we shall have found God 
merciful to us ; but how often, and how shamefully, have 
we broken these vows ? And by so doing, we have given 
Satan an advantage over us ; consequently, he tells us, now 
there is no mercy for us, since we have sinned against light 
and knowledge. Although it is a false suggestion of 
Satan, that mercy is clean gone for ever, yet the broken 
resolution of the penitent plants a dagger of conviction in 
his heart, sharper and deeper than all the sins he ever com- 
mitted "ignorantly in unbelief;" but after all, he need not 
despair of finding mercy, seeing Christ is his advocate with 
the Father, and ever liveth to make intercession for him. 

The delinquencies of ministers, members, and seekers 
are great, but those of ordinary sinners are still worse. 
There are many to preach the experience of Christians, but 
who will undertake to preach the experience of sinners? 
By the grace of God assisting, we will try it on this occa- 
sion, though the subject is an awful one. When quite 
young, the sinner is consciously touched by the Spirit's 
influence, sees his fallen condition, discovers the beauty of 

12 



134 RELIGIOUS VOWS. [sER. XIII. 

holiness, and desires to become a practical Christian. But 
Satan tells him he is so young, the people would think it 
only a childish notion ; that he should wait till he is older, 
and has a sounder judgment in such matters. Such reason- 
ings too often satisfy the young sinner, cause him to defer 
his repentance; and thus his first good impressions are like 
" the morning cloud and early dew that pass away." After 
he is grown well nigh to manhood, the Lord powerfully 
arrests him again. Alarmed at his condition, he acknowl- 
edges all that God requires is his reasonable service ; 
"but," says he, "I am now just coming into notice, and 
beginning to figure on the stage of life ; if I turn to a life 
of piety now, my young companions will think that I am 
old fashioned, singular, melancholy, or deranged; but if 
the Lord will bear with me until I shall have formed my 
connections for life, and am settled in the world, then I 
will certainly repent and serve him." It may be the Lord 
tries him again. He presently finds himself possessed of a 
family, and charged with an occupation, when the Spirit 
of God addresses him in the language of our text, " Pay 
thy vows unto the Most High." " Ah !" he exclaims, with 
emotions of terror, "the time, the full time, according to 
my own appointment, has come for me to repent ; but I now 
have a family to support, my circumstances in life are low, 
and how can I serve God and attend to the business of the 
world, so as to make property, and provide for a future 
day? 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs 
go and see it; and I pray thee, have me excused,' until I 
shall have acquired enough property to make me indepen- 
dent, and then I will assuredly repent, and turn to the Lord 
with full purpose of heart." Possibly, Jehovah still bears 
with the guilty rebel; and as "these are the ungodly that 
prosper in the world" and increase in riches, he soon 
increases in goods and has need of nothing, when the Holy 
Ghost says, "Pay thy vows unto the Most High." "0," 



SER. XIII.] RELIGIOUS VOWS. 135 

says he, "that I could, but now I am so overwhelmed in 
business, that it appears to be exceedingly difficult, if not 
impossible ; my business used to be at home, but now it is 
at home and abroad ; it once was private, but now it is pub- 
lic also ; once it was small and easy, but it has multiplied, 
until I am wearied day and night with toil and care : * Go 
thy way for this time, and when I have a convenient time 
I will call for thee.' " When? "After I get old, give up 
my business to others, and retire from the world to enjoy 
solitude, then I will have nothing else to do, and will attend 
strictly to a preparation for eternity." Well for him if he 
is not, before that time, beyond the reach of mercy for ever. 
But suppose the long suffering of God should continue till 
the infirmities of age drive him from business, and then give 
him another call, what then ? Hear his piteous complaint, 
" that I had a heart to repent, but I have been so long 
a sinner, and am so confirmed in habits of impiety, that my 
heart is hardened by the ' deceitfulness of sin;' once I 
had tender emotions, but I have broken promises, and 'lied 
to the Holy Ghost,' until they are all gone." "Can the 
Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then 
may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil," 
especially when those habits are of long continuance. 
But he has one more alternative, and then he is done. 
When he gets sick and is about to die, he fancies that the 
soft emotions of his heart will revive, and he will then sur- 
render and be accepted. Disease takes hold on him, but 
he is flattered by himself and others, that as he has often 
been sick and recovered, so it will be again. Thus, lulled 
by false representations from the world and the devil, he 
dozes on, until — awful to see — he is just on the breaking 
verge of time, and about to launch into eternity; and 
now he discovers that what requires a whole life time 
of preparation, must be obtained in a few moments — that 
is, fitness for immortality. Beside, his temporal business 



13G RELIGIOUS VOWS. [SER. XIII. 

must now be closed, his friends sent for and greeted. All is 
confusion and consternation ; the pulse of life beats faint 
and few; his sun goes down under a dark cloud; he sinks 
into the sad sleep of death ; his body is given to worms ; 
his spirit takes a leap in the dark, and awakes in a region 
of chains and dungeons, demons and fire, far beyond the 
impassable gulf which separates the rich man from Abra- 
ham, Lazarus and Jesus, for ever. 

These things are not imaginary. They are sober truths, 
dread realities, in reference to thousands in our own day 
and country; and if ye would not realize the experience 
of a sinner in all its extent, you must shun the sinner's 
ways, and pay your vows in season. 

III. How we should be affected by a sense of these our 
failures. They should cause us to distrust ourselves ; for 
though we have proceeded on the supposition, that in 
offering all these vows, we meant to be sincere, yet there 
have been numerous failures in the performance. Let this 
teach us to distrust ourselves, and put " no confidence in the 
flesh;" but trust in him, who stands between the Father's 
wrath and us. 

In the meantime, we should repent and pray. To our 
other sins, we should add those of negligence and broken 
vows, and turning to God with the full tears of contri- 
tion, beg mercy and pardon for all. Indeed, we should 
be suitably alarmed. Yes, in view of the number of our 
sins, and all the aggravating circumstances under which 
they have been committed, we should even be alarmed; 
seeing, that if we finally reject Christ, "there remaineth 
no more sacrifice for sin, but a fearful looking for of judg- 
ment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adver- 
saries." And seeing our broken vows afford just cause 
of alarm, we should be induced to come to Christ; for the 
more danger we are in, and the more helpless we are to 
escape it, and the more forlorn and hopeless our case may 






SER. XIII.] RELIGIOUS VOWS. 137 

be, the stronger is the argument to come straight to the 
Lord Jesus, the friend of sinners and Savior of men; and 
we add, the greater our misery, the more welcome at "the 
throne of grace." 

IV. We must conclude our remarks by enforcing the 
admonition, "Pay thy vows unto the Most High." These 
vows have been formed under different circumstances of 
mercy, judgment, religious excitement, or sober reflection; 
no matter how, the claims exist against us, and they are 
just. We have not said, nor meant, that our crime 
consisted in making vows, for this was right; but our 
sin is, that, having made, we fail to pay them. Will time 
diminish these claims? No, verily; they are recorded 
in heaven against us. Already, we fear, we "owe ten 
thousand talents, and have nothing to pay;" and delays, 
instead of helping us out, are getting us more deeply 
involved. Our Lord Jesus Christ is, however, offering 
daily to be our surety, and if we will receive him in 
our hearts by faith, he will afford us a full release — all 
delinquencies, as well as crimes, shall, be absolved; and 
we made the free and accepted children of the kingdom 
of grace. 

The final consequences of persisting in a course of 
impenitent delinquency, should prompt us to pay our 
vows; for even in the context, we learn, " Our God shall 
come, and shall not keep silence : a fire shall devour before 
him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. 
He shall call from the heavens above, and to the earth, that 
he may judge his people. * * * Now consider this, 
ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be 
none to deliver." How terrible are the threatenings of Je- 
hovah, but much more awful will be the execution of them ; 
and that they may never overtake us, let us now awake 
to this all important subject, and pay our vows unto the 
Most High. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 
12* 



138 THE GREAT DAY OF GOD's WRATH. [sER. XIV. 

SERMON XIV. 

THE GREAT DAY OF GOD's WRATH. 

"For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to 
stand?" Revelation vi, 17. 

Whatever reference this alarming passage of Scripture 
may have, primarily, to the judgments God sent upon the 
wicked Romans, we think its more important application is 
to the day of judgment. Read the context, and you will 
have our reason for this opinion. "And I beheld when he 
had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earth- 
quake ; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and 
the moon became as blood: and the stars of heaven fell 
unto the earth, even as a fig-tree caste th her untimely figs, 
when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven 
departed as a scroll when it is rolled together ; and every 
mountain and island were moved out of their places. And 
the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich 
men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and 
every bond-man, and every free-man, hid themselves in 
the dens and in the rocks of the mountains ; and said to the 
mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face 
of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the 
Lamb : for the great day of his wrath is come ; and who 
shall be able to stand?" 

It is generally the case, that subjects of pulpit discussion 
are more specially applicable to one part of the congrega- 
tion than another, but the general judgment is one which 
should be equally interesting to all people, in all ages; 
consequently, John speaks here of things future, as though 
they were present — the great day of his wrath is come. 
Admitting this, by supposition, and examining ourselves 
now, as if actually entering upon our final trial, let us ask 
the solemn question, Who shall be able to stand ? For the 
better understanding of the subject, we shall speak, 



SER. XIV.] THE GREAT DAY OF GOD'S WRATH. 139 

I. Of the wrath of God. 

II. Of the day of his wrath. 

III. Attempt to answer the question, " Who shall be able 
to stand?" 

I. The wrath of God is a subject on which men have 
gone to the widest extremes. Whenever we think of him 
as a being of passions like ourselves, we entirely mistake 
his character; for God is a spirit, pure and unchangeable. 

From this some have gone to the opposite extreme, and 
concluded that it was erroneous to attribute wrath to God 
in any sense ; and, hence, the supposition of modern scep- 
tics or false teachers, that Jehovah is not, and never was, 
irreconciled to any of his creatures, however sinful. But 
this is contrary to the plain declarations of God's own 
word. "For the Avrath of God is revealed from heaven 
against all ungodliness," &c. " Because there is wrath, 
beware, lest he cut you down with a stroke." " God is 
angry with the wicked every day." "Indignation and 
wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man 
that doeth evil." These examples are sufficient to show 
that, in some sense, God exercises wrath. 

How are these, and like declarations, to be understood? 
We answer, though God never falls into a fit of sympathy, 
nor a rage of anger; yet he naturally, necessarily, eter- 
nally, and unchangeably loves holiness, and all who pos- 
sess and practice it; and he is naturally, necessarily, eter- 
nally, and unchangeably opposed to sin, and to all who 
love and practice it: hence, he is said to love the righteous, 
and to be angry with the wicked. 

In what way is this opposition made known or expres- 
sed? By all the judgments he sends upon the wicked 
here and threatens them with hereafter. But there is a 
time when this will be displayed in an extraordinary 
manner ; which brings us to notice, 

II. The day of his wrath, which is the judgment day. 



140 THE GREAT DAY OF GOD's WRATH. [SER. XIV. 

The propriety of that day appears from various considera- 
tions. All systems of human government are insufficient 
to secure impartial justice to their subjects. Indeed, some 
do not allow that they are subjects of human government 
at all; such as monarchs, whose power is absolute, who 
do as they please, and account to no body on earth for their 
conduct; but reason says, there should be a tribunal at 
which they must answer hereafter. And among those who 
are subjects of human law, there is great inequality; for 
supposing these laws to be the best that can be made, and 
the ministers of them the best that can be chosen, yet such 
is the weakness of man, and the imperfection of his work, 
that in some cases the innocent will be punished, and in 
others the guilty will go free ; and, hence, the propriety 
of a day of judgment, to which one general appeal can be 
made from all these wrong decisions. 

The propriety of a judgment, may be argued also from 
the dispensations of Providence. One man, distinguished 
for wisdom, meekness and piety, suffers a train of calami- 
ties, which cause him to linger out a life of poverty, 
disease and sorrow. Another, distinguished only for his 
folly, cruelty, impiety and wickedness, rides in all the 
pomp of state, through a life of wealth, health, and 
revelry. Now, on the supposition that there is no future 
reckoning, how can those seemingly unequal distributions 
of the blessings of Providence, be reconciled to the attri- 
butes of infinite wisdom, mercy, justice, and truth? But 
if we draw aside the vail, which now obscures our view of 
eternity, and behold that procedure which rewards the 
virtuous, and punishes the vicious, then we can fully justify 
the ways of God to man. 

Whatever may be thought of the propriety of a day 
of judgment, the certainty thereof is fixed by the Holy 
Scriptures, beyond doubt, with all who read and believe 
them: "because he hath appointed a day in the which he 



SER. XIV.] THE GREAT DAY OF GOD's WRATH. 141 

will judge the world in righteousness." Again, "it is 
appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judg- 
ment." The whole tenor of the sacred writings goes to 
establish the same truth. But he who will not believe these 
plain declarations, will not believe any Scripture testi- 
monies ; and we will spend no time with him for nought. 

The grandeur of that day is learned by man from the 
same source. Daniel said, " I beheld till the thrones were 
cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment 
was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure 
wool : his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels 
as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from 
before him: .thousand thousands ministered unto him, and 
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the 
judgment was set, and the books were opened." We 
read in Revelation, "And I saw a great white throne, and 
him that sat on it, from -whose face the earth and the 
heaven fled away ; and there was found no more place for 
them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before 
God ; and the books were opened : and another book was 
opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were 
judged out of those things which were written in the 
books, according to their works." These passages speak 
for themselves. Comment would spoil them. 

Who is to preside as Judge on that awful occasion? 
The Lord Jesus Christ, who said, " For the Father judgeth 
no man ; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." 
The same truth is declared by Paul in these words: "And 
the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now com- 
mandeth all men everywhere to repent: because he hath 
appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in 
righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained: 
whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he 
hath raised him from the dead ;" from all which the 
divinity of Christ is fully and fairly inferred. In the Old 



142 THE GREAT DAY OF GOD's WRATH. [sER. XIV. 

Testament it is said, " God is judge himself;" but in the 
New Testament it is declared, Christ is judge. Put these 
together: God is judge, but Christ is judge, therefore 
Christ is God; and if he were not, how could he judge the 
world? Who, that is not infinite, could perceive, under- 
stand, and pass righteous judgment upon all the thoughts, 
words, and actions of one individual? But this, according 
to Solomon, the Judge will do with reference to all men. 
He says, "For God shall bring every work into judgment, 
with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be 
evil." Who is more suitable for this work than Christ — 
than "God manifested in the flesh?" His appearance 
at the last day must strike with terror the wicked, who 
refuse submission to him ; but will kindle heavenly raptures 
in the hearts of his saints, who love him in sincerity. 

The place of this fearful scene is a question of more 
curiosity than profit ; and, therefore, needs but little discus- 
sion. Some have located it on this globe. Others have 
supposed it might be in the " new heaven and new earth." 
But if any thing can be known on the subject, it must be 
ascertained by revelation, which rather favors the idea of its 
being in the firmament, or open space between the heavens 
and the earth; "For the Lord himself shall descend from 
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and 
with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise 
first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught 
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in 
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Here 
the Lord is represented as descending, and the people 
ascending, till all meet in open space, where the judgment 
will be erected, affording an opportunity to all the inhabi- 
tants of heaven, earth and hell, to witness the award of each 
other, as well as to hear their own case decided. 

The time is equally uncertain with us. For though 
" God hath appointed a day" for it, well known to himself, 






SER. XIV.] THE GREAT DAY OF GOd's WRATH. 143 

yet he hath not informed us when that day will come. 
Perhaps one reason of this is, that it may have a salutary 
influence on mankind of all ages. If the time of the 
general judgment were announced, those who live very 
remote from it, would be too little, while those who live 
very near to the time, would be too much affected by it. 
But while the time is secret, there is no safe ground to 
occupy, but to be always ready; and hence the judgment 
is as well calculated to influence the one as the other. But 
we have no doubt of one fact; that is, come when it may, 
it will be as unexpected to the world, as if it we're to come 
now; for they are to be "eating, drinking, marrying, and 
giving in marriage, when the Son of man shall come." 
And if the last day find us in all the round of worldly busi- 
ness, and worldly pleasures, what dismay and confusion it 
must spread in our guilty world. To be suddenly startled 
from our slumbers by the alarm of fire in our dwelling is 
fearful ; what then will be the consternation of the wicked, 
and the carnally secure, when the fierce lightnings of divine 
wrath shall set our world on fire ? Where then will they 
flee for refuge? Ah! to the judgment, to the judgment, 
we must go, 

Who shall be there ? " The dead, small and great ;" the 
husbandman from his field; the tradesman from his shop; 
the poor from the cottage ; the beggar from the street ; the 
prisoner from his cell; the learned from the study; the 
rich from their pleasures ; the statesman from his mansion ; 
the king from his throne ; the lewd from their revels ; the 
saints from their prayers ; the minister from the pulpit ; the 
congregation from the church; the votaries of pleasure 
from the theatre ; the living from their employments ; the 
dead from their graves; all that have been, now are, or 
shall hereafter be in our world ; holy angels from heaven, 
and fallen angels from hell. In this innumerable crowd, 
let us recollect, each of us shall make one. 



144 THE GREAT DAY OF GOD's WRATH. [sER. XIV. 

As to the manner of the proceedings of that day, who 
can tell? It beggars all description. Thoughts of it make 
my whole frame now shiver ; and what are these compared 
to the sight thereof? But the more we think of it, the 
better we shall be prepared for the scene ; and why should 
we shrink at the discussion, when we know we cannot 
shun the scrutiny itself? When the great purposes of God 
are served with man on earth, this his polluted habitation 
will be destroyed. The angel of the Revelation, will take 
his stand, one foot on the sea and the other on the land, 
and lifting his hand towards heaven, shall swear by him 
that liveth for ever and ever, that time shall be no longer. 
In that moment, the wheels of time shall suddenly stand 
still ; the heavenly bodies cease to revolve ; seed time and 
harvest, day and night, will be over. Gabriel, swifter than 
the flight of thought, flies across the concave of heaven, 
proclaiming with a voice which appalls creation, "Arise ye 
dead, and come to judgment." This sound reaches the 
bottom of the grave, the mossy tomb-stones are dislodged, 
and the dead start into life: it descends to the mighty 
deep, and she rolls her millions forth : it breaks through 
the earth and down to hell, and Satan, terror-struck with 
the thunders of Jehovah's wrath, repairs with his swarm- 
ing legions from his fiery cell to the more fearful judgment 
seat. The resurrection of the saints will be like ten thous- 
and suns breaking at once upon our benighted world, but 
that of the wicked like waking amidst destructive flames. 
How changed the world, since they left it! Its grandeur 
is gone, cities burnt already, the mountains are falling, the 
seas boiling, sinners exclaiming with horror, devils howling 
with vexation of spirit, saints shouting their final triumph. 
And now the conflagration increases, it consumes the solid 
ground, dries up the briny deep, communicates to the 
curtains of the temporal heavens, and flashes from comet 
to comet. In the midst of all, see ! see ! the great white 









SER. XIV.] THE GREAT DAY OF GOD's WRATH. 145 

throne descending. Ah! my hearers, it is no chimera 
now. Yonder comes the Judge ! his face like the sun, his 
eyes like streams of lightning, his voice as the sound of 
many waters — astonished worlds retire from his presence ! 
but angels, men, and devils form one vast concourse 
around him ! 

What is the object of all this? The Judge is about to 
assert the honor of his throne, by judging all his creatures — 
according to their works — in a way too, that will let all see 
and hear the justice of the decision. Now "the books are 
opened," all the sources of testimony brought to light, 
which produce a revelation of characters ; the self-righteous 
moralist, who prided himself on his correct deportment, 
while he rejected Christ and his grace, will there see 
the depths of his pollution ; but the humble, self-denying, 
cross-bearing Christian, who was persecuted and reviled, 
will appear with all the purity of his motives and loveli- 
ness of his character. Also a revelation of consciences. 
Things which we here viewed as innocent recreations, or 
perhaps as virtues, will there, when viewed in the light 
of eternity, assume the nature of crimes ; and things which 
we esteemed little sins, and therefore soon forgot them, 
will be revived before our guilty minds, and haunt us like 
ghosts of the infernal regions. 

There will be too a revelation of secrets. How many 
"hidden things of dishonesty" will there come out. Here, 
if guilty of secret crimes, we try to hush our conscience by 
the argument that they are not known ; or if known by a 
few, they are friends and will not expose us ; or if they do, 
we can contradict the report, and prevent the general belief 
thereof; or if we fail in this, we can offer such palliations 
as will greatly soften matters with the people; but there 
all such excuses will be vain — the whole of our sins must 
come out as they are, with all their aggravating circum- 
stances, and we be treated accordingly. 

13 



146 THE GREAT DAY OF GOD'S WRATH. [sER. XIV. 

How great will be the day of his wrath, when all these 
calamities shall come on the world of man. There have 
been many days of his wrath — as when he deluged the old 
world, rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah, 
sent the Roman eagles on the wicked Jews ; or when he 
hath visited more modern nations with war and pestilence, 
plague and famine ; but what are all these, compared to the 
great day of his wrath, when "he shall arise terribly to 
shake the earth" with his fury, and "fling his wrath 
abroad?" We proceed to notice, 

III. The inquiry, Who shall be able to stand 1 All who 
live and die in favor with God through our Lord Jesus 
Christ, and none else, whatever natural pre-eminence they 
may have over others ; for " there is none other name given 
under heaven among men whereby we must be saved." 
A.nd to be saved by him, implies redemption from the curse 
of the violated law, repentance, faith, pardon, holiness, and 
perseverance. Christ is to judge all men according to his 
Gospel ; which teaches that infants are justified wholly by 
the atonement, without any conditions ; that heathens are 
accepted if they live up to the rule of conscience, partially 
enlightened by the Holy Spirit ; and that we who have the 
Gospel, are accepted only by repentance toward God and 
faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, each one being responsible 
according to his privileges and abilities : " For as many as 
have sinned without law, shall also perish without law: 
and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by 
the law, (for not the hearers of the law are just before God, 
but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the 
Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things 
contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law 
unto themselves. Which show the work of the law writ- 
ten in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, 
and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or else excu- 



SER. XV.] THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST. 147 

sing one another;) in the day when God shall judge the 
secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospel." 
According to this view of the subject, all who die in 
infancy will be able to stand complete in Christ, being 
redeemed from original sin, and sanctified for himself. 
Pious heathens shall be able to stand, while baptized 
heathens in our own land will fall to rise no more— the 
humble and self-denying shall be able to stand, while the 
proud are cut down with the sword of justice— the orderly 
and sincere worshipers of God shall be able to stand, while 
the persecutors and disturbers of his worshipers will be 
destroyed — the faithful preacher, who regards the truth and 
the honor of Christ more than his own ease or applause, 
shall be able to stand, while designing heretics, and they 
who seek only their own honor, will descend into the lake 
of fire — pious children will be able to stand, while wicked 
and opposing parents will be eternally undone — even pious 
servants will be able to stand, while impious and cruel 
masters will be sentenced to an awful hell. In a word, the 
truly pious of all ages, and all names, shall be able to stand, 
and stand for ever, while " the wicked shall be turned into 
hell, and all the families that forget God." May God pre- 
pare us for death, judgment, and a glorious immortality, 
and finally save us all for his Son's sake. Amen. 



SERMON XV. 

THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST. 

"If any man serve me, him will my Father honor," John xii, 26. 

"What think ye of Christ?" is a question to which 
answers have been accumulating for ages past; and if we 
had before us all the theories which those answers furnish, 
they would form a huge mass of confusion, error, and con- 
tradiction. But not to trouble ourselves with the various 



148 THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST. [sER. XV. 

mistakes of men on this subject, it will be sufficient for 
our present purpose, to give the answer furnished by 
the Holy Scriptures. He is "Emmanuel; which being 
interpreted, is God with us :" " God manifested in the 
flesh:" "And in him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead 
bodily," or the whole divine nature. 

This view of the subject is not only important, but 
essential to our salvation individually ; for if Christ be any 
less than the unoriginated and self-existent God, he is 
necessarily limited in his perfections ; and, therefore, while 
we pray to, and trust in him, he may not know that any 
such individuals as ourselves are in existence ; and if he 
does know us, being thus limited, he lacks the power 
necessary to afford us suitable relief. This view is also 
essential to the whole system of revealed religion ; for it 
claims supreme divinity for him; and he professed to be 
God, one with the Father ; of course if he is not God, the 
whole Christian revelation is a vain pretense, a "cunningly 
devised fable." It is with this understanding of the 
subject, that we now introduce it to our hearers; and pro- 
pose to notice, briefly, 

I. The character who, in the text, claims our service. 

II. What is implied in serving him. 

III. The promise made to those who thus serve him. 

I. "What is clearly stated in many other places, is here 
fairly implied in the words, "My Father," that Christ is 
the Son of God. But in what sense ? 

1. Respecting his humanity; for "he took on himself 
not the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham ;" that is, 
our nature, with all its innocent infirmities, and every thing 
pertaining to it, sin only excepted, comprehending a body, 
which is known from his being born, being hungry, weary, 
increasing in stature, suffering, dying, &c. And a soul, 
though modern Arians inform us that Christ possessed no 
rational soul, by which, if they mean any thing, they must 



SER. XV.] THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST. 149 

mean either that the soul of Christ was irrational, or that 
he had no soul ; the latter being the more charitable conclu- 
sion, we will fix on it as the correct one. But how does 
this agree with the Scriptures, " Thou shalt make his soul 
an offering for sin ;" " My soul is exceeding sorrowful even 
unto death?" Judge ye. But though they say he had no 
rational soul, he was a pre-existent, super-angelic spirit, 
created at some period before the temporal universe, and 
who in the fullness of time assumed a human body, and 
animated it as our souls animate our bodies. To all this 
it is enough to say, that if this account of Christ be true, 
then he belongs to the classification of neither God, angels, 
nor men, and is a being unheard of before, unknowing and 
unknown, till the Unitarian revelation brought him to light ; 
but how many of these sentiments can be found in the 
Bible ? Not one. Christ then is the Son of God respect- 
ing his humanity, as described by the angel to Mary, " The 
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the 
Highest shall overshadow thee : therefore also that holy 
thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son 
of God." 

2. We think the divine as well as human nature of 
Christ, is called Son in divers places by the sacred writers ; 
and among others in the following: "For the Father judg- 
eth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the 
Son: that all men should honor the Son, even as they 
honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth 
not the Father which hath sent him," John v, 22, 23. 
"But unto the Son, he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for 
ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre 
of thy kingdom," Hebrews i, 8. It will here be observed, 
that the being called "the Son," is to judge the world, and 
is to be honored even as the Father; that he is called God, 
and that his throne, as such, is for ever and ever. Now to 
apply all this to the humanity of Christ would be absurd. 
13* 



150 THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST. [sER. XV. 

Yet we are not careful to contend about words or phrases. 
Grant us the position that Christ is God in the proper sense 
of the term, and we are content. If the divine as well as 
human nature of Christ be called the Son of God, as we 
understand it, he is so called, not to indicate that the Father 
is older and the Son younger, but Father and Son are used 
as terms of distinction, to convey the idea of plurality of 
persons in the Godhead, or divine nature. And this doc- 
trine of plurality of persons in the one true God, is as old 
among men as the Bible ; for in the first chapter of Genesis, 
where the name of the Supreme Being is recorded for the 
first time on earth, we find a plain proof in these expres- 
sions : " Let us make man in our image ;" and at the 
building of the tower, "Let us go down and confound 
their language." Not delaying now to trace the evidences 
through all the prophetic ages, we observe in the history 
of the baptism of Christ, the Son, the subject of the bap- 
tism, the Father whose voice proceeded from heaven, and 
the Holy Spirit descending upon the Son. Here the idea 
of a Trinity is clearly indicated. The same is stated more 
definitely in 1 John v, 7, "For there are three that bear 
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy 
Ghost: and these three are one:" one inseparable, and 
indivisible. As Christ said, "He that hath seen me, hath 
seen the Father." "I and my Father are one." Now, 
if Unitarians undertake to prove, in opposition to such 
plain declarations, that the Father and Son are not one, but 
two distinct beings, do they not virtually say, that our 
Savior was mistaken? But again, said Christ, "Go ye 
therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 
Why not in the name of the Father, Moses, and Paul? 
Because, to administer a religious ordinance in the name 
of a mere creature would be idolatry ; and what better is it, 
done in the name of the Son, and the Holy Ghost, if they 



SER. XV.] THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST. 151 

be not God? Let us reduce it to a formal argument. 
The Father is God, but the Father and Son are one; 
therefore the Father and Son are God. Again, the Father 
and Son are God, but the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are 
one ; therefore, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are God. 

Christ bears the titles of the Supreme Being. Thus, 
Isaiah said, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is 
given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: 
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The 
mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of peace." 
And again, "As for our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his 
name." Jude said, "To the only wise God our Savior, 
be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and 
ever." Christ said, in the 1st chapter of Revelation, "I 
am * * * the Almighty." In these, and numerous 
other places, Christ bears the titles of the Supreme Being — . 
mighty God, only wise God, Lord of hosts, everlasting 
Father, Almighty; from which it follows, conclusively, 
either that they show him to be the supreme God, or they 
do not teach that the Father is the supreme God ; for to 
both they are equally applied. 

He possesses the attributes of God — as Eternity : 
"whose goings forth have been from of old, from ever- 
lasting;" which means from eternity. Omniscience; for 
Peter said to him, "Lord, thou knowest all things ;" and 
the disciples, "Now are we sure that thou knowest all 
things." Omnipresence; "Where two or three are gath- 
ered together in my name, there am I in the midst of 
them." Omnipotence; having "all power in heaven and 
in earth." The same might be said of his moral attributes, 
as love, justice, mercy, truth, holiness ; but these sublime 
topics we have no time at present to discuss. 

He performs the works of God— -as (1) creation. In the 
Old Testament it is said, "In six days God made the 
heavens and the earth;" but in the New Testament it is 



152 THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST. [sER. XV. 

said (Hebrews i, 10) by the. Father to the Son, "And, 
Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation 
of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine 
hands." Again, John i, "In the beginning was the 
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was 
God. * * * All things were made by him ; and with- 
out him was not any thing made that was made." Once 
more, (Colossians i, 16, 17,) " For by him (Christ) were 
all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, 
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, 
or principalities, or powers: all things were created by 
him, and for him : and he is before all things, and by him 
all things consist." Here are four Scriptural affirmations 
of the supreme divinity of Christ: 1. He is the Creator 
of all things. 2. He created them for himself, and not for 
another. He who acts only as a delegate, acts not for him- 
self, but for the power that delegated him ; but here we find 
all things were made by Christ, and for him — that is, for 
his own glory. 3. " He is before all things ;" and, conse- 
quently, is not a thing, but is self-existent. 4. "By him 
all things consist," or are " upheld by the word of his 
power;" " the government" of the universe "is upon his 
shoulder." Now put the proofs of the Old and New 
Testaments together. God made the heavens and the 
earth, but Jesus Christ made the heavens and the earth; 
therefore, Jesus Christ is God. (2.) The pardon of sin: 
"Who can forgive sin but God." Nevertheless, "that ye 
may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to 
forgive sin, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) rise, take up 
thy bed and walk." (3.) Judgment: "For God shall 
bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, 
whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Again, in the 
50th Psalm, " God is judge himself;" but the New Testa- 
ment informs us that Christ is judge; therefore, Christ 
is God. 



SER. XV.] THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST. 153 

3. His mediatorial character, comprising both his human 
and divine natures. After asserting, and we trust proving, 
from the Scriptures, both the proper humanity and real 
divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us, for a moment, 
observe him in the union of these two; for though the 
divine nature is not absorbed by the human, nor the human 
changed into the divine, yet are they permanently united 
in the person of the Son of God : and, hence, while some 
Scriptures speak of him only as a man, and others only as 
God, there is still another class of Scriptures which speak 
of him in reference to both, and which can be explained on 
no other principle; as John iii, 13, "And no man hath 
ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from 
heaven, even the Son of man, which is in heaven." Here 
Christ speaks to Nicodemus in the present tense; and 
though his bodily presence was on earth, yet he calls him- 
self the Son of man which is in heaven ; for, as God, he 
fills immensity. Another example is Revelation xxii, 16, 
" I am the root and the offspring of David." When Christ 
here calls himself "the root of David," he means that he 
is the source or cause of David's existence; or, if you 
please, David's Creator; but when he calls himself "the 
offspring of David," he means that he is David's son. 
Now, how could he be both David's Creator and David's 
son on any other principle than that of being both God and 
man? This view of the subject, therefore, is essential to 
the proper understanding of the Scriptures, as well as to the 
office of mediation ; and it is in this character that Christ is 
the most suitable object of our faith. "He that believeth 
on the Son hath everlasting life : and he that believeth not 
the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth 
on him." 

II. What is implied in serving him. 

1. Though there is a difference in the literal meaning 
of the terms serve and worship, yet the appropriated sense 



154 THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST. [SER. XV. 

of them, by the sacred writers, is often the same ; hence, 
to serve God, and to worship him, are substantially the 
same thing : both of which terms are frequently used in the 
Scriptures, as expressive of our duty to Christ. The word 
worship is sometimes applied to men, but then it is to be 
understood not in the real, but figurative sense, to mean 
respect, reverence ; for respect is due from a man to a 
stranger, reverence from a son to a father ; but much more 
than either, is due from the creature to the Creator. Uni- 
tarians say we may worship the Father as supreme, and 
the Son as inferior. This, we think, to be a long stride 
into the regions of idolatry; for if we may worship the 
Father as a great God, and the Son as a little God, we 
may, for the same reasons, worship the Holy Ghost as no 
God; and, finally, we may be induced to worship Mary 
with the Papists, and Juggernaut with the Hindoos. But, 
to examine the subject by the rules of Scripture, Christ 
either is, or is not God in the proper sense of that term. 
If he is God, then Ave are not at liberty to worship him as 
inferior ; and if he is not God, then to worship him at all 
is a plain violation of the first commandment, " Thou shalt 
worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." 
Now, here we are positively commanded to serve God 
only, yet in our text we are required to serve Christ. 
Query. Does Christ here require us to break the command- 
ment, and commit the sin of idolatry, that we may have a 
part "in the lake of fire and brimstone?" Or does he 
require it, because he is God, and entitled to our service ? 
We choose to believe the latter. Again, where is it written 
in the sacred Oracles, that we are to make such a difference 
in the worship of the Father and the Son ? Surely not in 
John v, 22, 23, " For the Father judgeth no man ; but hath 
committed all judgment to the Son." For what purpose? 
" That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor 
the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not 



SER. XV.] THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST. 155 

the Father which hath sent him." In this text, we are 
plainly taught two things: (1.) That all men are bound to 
pay equal divine honors to the Father and to the Son. 
(2.) That he who refuses thus to honor the Son, dishonors 
the Father ; and of consequence hath no part in him. 

2. We have precepts to worship the Son of God. 
Hebrews i, 6, " When he (the Father) bringeth in the first- 
begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels 
of God worship him." And Philippians 2, where it is 
said of Christ, " Who, being in the form of God, thought 
it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself 
of no reputation. * * * Wherefore God also hath 
highly exalted him : * * * that at the name of Jesus 
every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in 
earth, and things under the earth ; and that every tongue 
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of 
God the Father." So that, however some may now refuse 
submission to the Son of God, the time will come when 
angels, men and devils, shall acknowledge the justice of his 
claim, and bow to "the thunder of his power;" some of 
choice, and others of necessity. 

3. We have examples for worshiping the Son of God. 
The Magi, or wise men from the east, came to the infant 
Redeemer, prostrated themselves, and presented to him 
gold, as a king, frankincense, as a God, and myrrh, as a 
man; the Syrophonecian woman worshiped him; the 
disciples, from time to time, held him by the feet and 
worshiped him; the malefactor prayed to him on the 
cross; dying Stephen said, "Lord Jesus, receive my 
spirit;" and many others. In connection with these 
examples, let it be observed, that one of the principal 
charges which the Jews had against him was, that "he, 
being a man, made himself equal with God," receiving the 
adorations of the people ; and if this charge was not well 
founded, that he claimed equality with God, why did he 



156 THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST. [sER. XV. 

not contradict it ? Was he not as good as Paul and Barna- 
bas, who, when the people proposed to offer sacrifices to 
them, forbade them? Or the angel, who, when John 
would have worshiped him, said, "See thou doit not — 
worship God?" And why did not our Savior forbid those 
who worshiped him? We must suppose either that he 
was a divine person, and justly entitled to acts of religious 
worship, or that he was less virtuous than angels and men 
who refused such adoration. We choose to adopt the 
former supposition. 

III. The promise to such as thus serve him: "him will 
my Father honor." 

1. To whom is this promise made? Surely not to those 
who withhold from the Son of God the honors which he 
justly claims of them — who would rob him of his crown, 
and turn the Creator into a creature; for "whosoever 
denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father." And 
again, " He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the 
Father which sent him." Wherefore, though we would 
not deal in epithets which are abusive or unkind, we are 
not authorized to apply this promise to any whose creed 
does not recognize the supreme divinity of the Lord Jesus, 
whether they call him impostor, a mere man, a great 
martyr, or a pre-existent, super-angelic spirit. But, 

2. To all such as "love him in sincerity," worship him 
in spirit and in truth, and render a holy obedience to all his 
righteous commands, take up their cross daily and follow 
him, yea, that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. 
All such shall be honored with " the Spirit of adoption," 
and the testimony of a good conscience ; with the full and 
free pardon of all their sins, a name and a place in the 
Church of Christ below, victory over their spiritual ene- 
mies, triumph in death, a place in paradise, a glorious 
resurrection, an honorable acquittal at the general judgment ; 
and, finally, a place amidst "the general assembly and 



SER. XV. J THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST. 157 

Church of the first-born, which are written in heaven," 
for ever. 

To conclude our remarks, already, we fear, too numerous : 

1. Who is able to fathom the depths, and comprehend 
the mysteries of this theme — the incarnation of the Son of 
God? Here we are called to contemplate a Being bearing 
the titles, possessing the attributes, and doing the works 
of Jehovah, yet clothed with our own frail nature, and 
engaged in this world on a mission of mercy and love to 
our fallen race ; traveling, teaching, suffering, bleeding, 
dying, conquering, rising, triumphing, and receiving the 
adorations of millions, by him rescued from endless ruin ! 
It makes us wonder, adore, and 

" Breattfe unutterable praise, 
In rapturous awe, and silent love." 

Well, if we cannot comprehend the mystery, we can 
believe the fact, that " God was manifest in the flesh, justi- 
fied in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, 
believed on in the world, and received up into glory;" and 
believing, though we see him not, we rejoice with joy 
unspeakable and full of glory. 

2. Who can resist this almighty Redeemer, the Judge 
of quick and dead? Ye have heard of the rewards he 
has for the humble and obedient who serve him ; but the 
counter part of the subject is truly awful. Now, indeed, 
we can pull away the shoulder, and turn away the ear, and 
refuse to have the man Christ Jesus to reign over us ; but 
"who can stand before him when he appeareth" to judge 
our guilty race? when he shall "come in the clouds of 
heaven with power and great glory, and all the nations 
of the earth shall be gathered before him," to hear their 
final doom? When he shall "arise terribly to shake the 
earth," and " fling his wrath abroad," then shall the finally 
impenitent know, that " it is an awful thing to fall into the 
hands of the living God." 

14 



158 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. [sER. XVI. 

3. Lastly; but now he offers peace, holding out the 
golden sceptre of mercy, that we may touch and live ; and 
if we will submit to his authority, his power is present to 
heal; his grace will always be sufficient; his yoke easy, 
and his burden light. He will cheer us in death, and exalt 
us to crowns and kingdoms immortal. "Now unto the 
King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be 
honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." 



SERMON XVI. 

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 
"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for 
evermore. Amen," Revelation i, 18. 

This account of our Lord Jesus Christ is given by him- 
self, who is the purest, the most interesting and extraordi- 
nary character that ever appeared in our world — in com- 
parison of whom the age of Methuselah, the meekness of 
Moses, strength of Sampson, patience of Job, wisdom 
of Solomon, love of John, and eloquence of Apollos, all 
dwindle into insignificance. The narrative of his life is 
a history of wonders. He was conceived by the over- 
shadowing of the power of the Highest; his birth was 
announced by a mission of angels; the star of heaven 
directed the wise men of the east to Bethlehem, an obscure 
village, to worship in a manger the infant Redeemer of the 
world; by his juvenile intelligence, he confounded the 
elders and doctors of the law ; by a series of miracles the 
most merciful, and yet the most magnificent, he reversed 
and restored at will the laws of nature ; and by his suffer- 
ings in the closing scene of his earthly pilgrimage, to which 
he voluntarily surrendered himself, he shook the globe, and 
darkened the world. To crown the whole, it appeared 
suitable, that he should demonstrate the divinity of his 
character and mission, by rising from the dead. The 



SER. XVI.] THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 159 

resurrection of Christ is a matter of fact in his history, 
with which the whole system of Christianity must stand or 
fall; and, which, considering its importance, is too much 
neglected by the heralds of the cross ; but which, we are 
happy to believe, and, therefore, cheerfully state, admits 
of proofs the most certain, and arguments the most incon- 
trovertible ; consequently, all the indulgence we ask is an 
impartial hearing, while we call up some of the main 
features of the subject. 

A resurrection is a restoration from a state of death to a 
state of life — a return from the grave of the same body that 
went into it; hence, to be certain of Christ's resurrection, 
we must first be certain of his death. And did he die? 
Ask the Jews that prosecuted him, the governor who 
passed sentence upon him, and the soldiers that executed 
him, the crowd of spectators who witnessed his dying 
agony, heard him say, "It is finished," and saw his head 
recline upon his shoulder ! Ask all nature, the rending vail, 
the darkened sun, the shivering rocks, the opening tombs, 
the rising saints, and the trembling earth ! Ask the soldiers 
that were sent to hasten the death of the sufferers, and 
broke the bones of the first and of the second that were 
crucified with him, but when they came to Jesus broke 
not his bones, because he was dead already ; " but one of the 
soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came 
thereout blood and water," for the washing of the nations, 
clearly indicating that life was extinct ! Ask Joseph who 
begged the body for interment, wrapped it in clean linen 
and laid it in his own new tomb ! Ask the mournful pro- 
cession of weeping disciples that followed and saw him 
laid in the sepulchre! They all proclaim him dead, and 
no one doubts the fact. 

We notice next the means used to prevent his resur- 
rection. Immediately after the interment, a delegation 
of Christ's enemies waited on the governor, "Saying, Sir, 



160 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. fsER. XVI. 

we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet 
alive, After three days I will rise again. Command there- 
fore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, 
lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and 
say unto the people, He is risen from the dead : so the last 
error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, 
Ye have a watch : go your way, make it as sure as ye 
can." Whereupon, a military detachment from among the 
regular troops stationed at Jerusalem, under the newly 
founded empire of Rome, was ordered to the sepulchre, 
whose employers showed them the deposit which they 
were called out to defend ; rolled a huge stone, used as a 
lid or shutter, to the mouth of the sepulchre ; affixed the 
governor's seal, to show that all was done by public 
authority ; gave the necessary orders, and retired. Let it 
be here remarked, that all these precautions to prevent the 
resurrection of Christ, are only additional evidences that 
the fact really transpired, rendering it more obvious than it 
otherwise could have been. What a solemn crisis was 
this in the history of the Christian Church. The Shep- 
herd of Israel was smitten, and all his flock scattered ; the 
enemies of the cross seemed to have a momentary triumph ; 
Zion was prostrated, and bleeding at a thousand veins ; the 
Savior was about to demonstrate that he was the Son 
of God, or be detected as an impostor ; the truth or falsity 
of revealed religion was then to be fully and fairly tested. 
All was anxiety on either side. The wheels of time seemed 
to linger, but the hardy soldiers were firm at their posts, by 
night and day. The approach of day on the third morn 
was announced by the faint glimmer which the morning 
star shed upon the soldier's spear. The interest of the 
occasion was increasing. Presently, the eastern horizon 
was slightly streaked with the dawn of day. The soldiers 
took courage, and perhaps said, "The victory is ours." 
Already, in their imagination, they had returned to their 



SER. XVI.] THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 161 

employers to be greeted with welcome, and applauded with 
shouts of triumph, and rewarded with the wages of iniquity. 
But suddenly they were roused from this reverie by an aw- 
ful earthquake that convulsed the tombs, and by the appear- 
ance of two celestial beings dispatched from heaven, who, 
equally regardless of the soldiers' arms, and the governor's 
seal, rolled back the stone. Jesus exerted the power of his 
divinity, and, like a mighty conqueror, spoiled the powers 
of death, hell, and the grave. The effect was as might 
have been expected: "the keepers shook and became as 
dead men." When they saw the angels, it produced a 
paroxysm ; but when they saw the Son of God start into 
life, there was a suspension of the pulsation of their hearts. 
Having recovered a little, they returned to the city, and 
as was very natural for them to do, under the extraordinary 
circumstances, related the facts of the case as they trans- 
pired; for this, with them, was a very awful moment, and 
no time to trifle. 

The next thing which claims our notice, is, the means 
employed to prevent the belief of the resurrection of Christ 
after it had taken place. A council was hastily called, in 
which it was agreed to get the soldiers to call in the first 
report they made on the subject, and put forth another; 
namely, that while they were sleeping, his disciples came 
by night and stole him away. But in doing this, the coun- 
cil found great difficulty. The events witnessed by the 
soldiers had badly prepared their minds for such deceit and 
falsehood. The proposition was made without success, 
renewed with the promise of large sums of money, urged 
by many persuasions ; and, finally, by a promise of per- 
sonal indemnification, they were reluctantly induced to 
comply'— turned round, contradicted their own first state- 
ment, and said, ""While we slept, his disciples came by 
night and stole him away." This fabrication was badly 
contrived, and badly executed ; for it carries its own refu- 
14* 



162 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. [SER. XVI. 

tation on the face of it! The disciples seemed thus far 
not to have entered into the scheme of the resurrection; 
and, consequently, could have no design to induce the 
belief of it. And if they had, how could they hope to suc- 
ceed? Few in number, inoffensive, unarmed, unaccus- 
tomed to war, scattered, and heart-broken, would they 
attempt an attack on these invincible regulars ? Or if they 
relied on felony, could they hope to find all the guards 
asleep on an occasion like this? And if they should, 
could they remove the stone, enter the sepulchre, and con- 
vey off the sacred body, without waking one of this vigi- 
lant watch? And beside all this, if they were asleep, as 
they said, how did they know the correctness of their own 
statements? Has a man any consciousness when all his 
senses are locked up in slumber? Not any more than 
when he is in his grave. How then could they know, if 
he was removed while they slept, whether the- disciples 
stole him, or he actually rose from the dead? And is this 
the best evidence for infidelity? Yes; the self-contra- 
dictory statements of these sycophantic, bribed, perjured 
soldiers ! How strange then that contemptible infidelity 
should lift its deformed head, and that presumptuous deism 
should stalk out into the open light of Gospel day, with all 
the effrontery of Satan ! May the God of Israel enable us 
this day, with a few pebbles of truth hurled from the Gos- 
pel sling, to stretch the monster in the dust ! 

Very different, indeed, are the evidences on the other 
side of the question. Let us now examine the witnesses 
of the resurrection of Christ. Who are they? The 
disciples in general, but the apostles more especially. Are 
they competent witnesses? They are, first, in number, 
viz., the apostles, and more than five hundred that saw him 
at once. Second, in moral character also, they are compe- 
tent. They were plain, simple, honest-hearted men, whose 
testimony would be received in any court throughout the 



SER. XVI.] THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 163 

civilized world, and whose conduct proved the purity 
of their motives; for to say, that they were base men 
of wicked intentions, would be to involve us in such conse- 
quences as would shock common sense. Did they desire 
applause? Their Master had forewarned them, that they 
"should be hated of all men for his sake," persecuted, 
brought before rulers, and that the time should come when 
men would think they did God service if they killed them. 
Did they seek wealth? Why then did they leave their 
occupations, and go without purse or scrip to preach the 
Gospel to the poor? Did they desire ease? Why then 
did they lead a life of unparalleled toils and sufferings, 
trudging on foot from town to town, in perils by land and 
sea ; and, finally, die martyrs to the cause they advocated ? 
Now to suppose that these were bad men, actuated by cor- 
rupt principles, would be to suppose that they voluntarily 
gave up their pecuniary interests, friends, ease, safety, and 
life itself, for what? To assert what they knew to be a 
base lie; and that too to promote the honor of one they 
knew to be an impostor, who had cruelly deceived and 
disappointed themselves ! If any man can believe this, let 
him believe it. 

Perhaps it may be further objected to these witnesses, 
that though their conduct proved them sincere and honest, 
yet they were ignorant and deluded men; they thought 
Christ rose from the dead, but were mistaken. But this is 
getting from bad to worse. It is virtually saying, that a 
dozen men, ignorant, illiterate, without experience, friends, 
wealth, or influence, undertook to establish a new religion 
in the world; and though they had to contend with the 
prejudices of the Jews, the ignorance and superstition 
of pagans, the influence of wealth and learning, the power 
of civil rulers, and the terrors of military force, yet did 
absolutely succeed in the establishment of a religion, that 
has out-lived all the storms and revolutions of eighteen 



164 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. [sER. XVI. 

centuries, and now bids fair to take the world. Such 
monstrous absurdities carry their own refutation with them. 
Our witnesses, upon the whole, are both competent and 
credible. 

The witnesses examined the facts of the case well, and 
did not act like persons willing to be imposed on. The 
first who discovered the resurrection among the disciples, 
were Mary and a few of her female friends. The time 
that they left home to visit the sepulchre, and the time that 
the soldiers left it for the city, were so nearly the same, 
that neither had arrived before the other departed. The 
object of the women was to embalm the sacred body, 
according to the customs of Asia in those days; hence, 
their balm and spices, and their conversation about the 
difficulty of moving the stone. To their astonishment they 
found it rolled away, and Jesus gone : disappointment 
added to sympathy made them weep bitterly. The angel 
came and said tcr Mary, "Why weepest thou? I know 
that you seek Jesus that was crucified : he is not here : he 
is risen as he said;" but they understood it not. Of a 
resurrection, they seemed to have no correct idea. Gloom, 
with them, covered the whole subject. The angels are 
gone ; the women are dispersing ; but Mary lingers behind. 
Reclining on the sepulchre, she discovers some person 
near her; but her eyes are suffused with tears, and she 
knows him not. Supposing him to be the gardener, and 
that he might have removed the dead body, lest it should 
be a nuisance to him, she said, "Sir, if you have borne 
my Lord hence, tell me where you have laid him, and I 
will take him away." The individual significantly said, 
"Mary." She looked round, and there stood Jesus alive. 
She fell at his feet in an act of worship. He said, " Go 
and tell my disciples I am risen from the dead." Then 
with joyful haste, she fled to them. Peter and another 
being the first she found, set off full speed, and on their 



SER. XVI.] THE BESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 165 

arrival found it even so; but the others believed it not. 
The same day two of the disciples went to Emmaus, a 
village seven miles and a half from Jerusalem. On their 
way, Jesus fell in with them, "but their eyes were holden, 
that they should not know him. And he said unto them, 
What manner of communications are these that ye have 
one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?" One answered, 
"Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not 
known the things which are come to pass in these days ?" 
He said, " What things ?" They answered, " Concerning 
Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet mighty in deed and word 
before God, and all the people:" and how they had cruci- 
fied him, &c. "And besides all this, to-day is the third 
day since these things were done. And, certain women 
of our company made us astonished, which were early at 
the sepulchre," and brought news of his being alive. 
Then he said, " O fools, and slow of heart to believe all 
that the prophets have spoken ! Ought not Christ to have 
suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" He 
began to explain the prophets concerning himself, which 
was the best preaching they had ever heard. The time 
passed pleasantly, and before they were aware, they had 
reached the place of destination. He made as though he 
would pass on, but they besought him to tarry with them 
as the day was far spent. He yielded to their importuni- 
ties ; and at supper took bread, blessed, broke, and gave it 
to them. Their eyes were opened to know him, and he 
vanished out of their sight. With haste they returned to 
the city, saying, "Did not our hearts burn within us while 
he talked with us by the way?" — found the apostles gath- 
ered in a private room, and conferring on the subject, 
related what they had seen and heard; and while the 
investigation went on, which seemed to those that had not 
yet seen him as idle tales, they heard a voice falling with 
the sweetness of heavenly accents, saying, "Peace be unto 



166 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. [SER. XVI. 

you;" and looking up, there stood Jesus in the midst. 
On this occasion Thomas was absent. When he returned 
and heard their statements, said he, "Except I shall see in 
his hands the print of the nails, and put my ringer into the 
print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will 
not believe." At the next meeting of the disciples private- 
ly, the door being shut, Thomas attended. Jesus came, 
and pronounced his blessing on them ; and addressing him- 
self to Thomas said, by way of reproof, "Reach hither thy 
finger, and behold my hands ; and reach hither thy hand, 
and thrust it into my side ; and be not faithless, but believ- 
ing." When, by way of confession, " Thomas answered 
and said unto him, My Lord and my God!" for this was 
demonstration. From the very brief view we have taken 
of the conduct of the disciples, it appears obvious, that they 
were not careless in the examination of the evidences 
of Christ's resurrection. They did not act like persons 
who intended to be deceived. So far from it, never was 
unbelief more stubborn and unconquerable, than that of the 
disciples touching this subject. And never was any subject 
more critically looked into by so many persons ; for the 
disciples would not believe one another, and went on to 
examine till demonstration was fixed on every mind. 

Nor could they be mistaken by any means as to the 
identity of his person. If they had heard his voice merely, 
without seeing him, then doubts might have arisen; or 
if they had only seen him at a distance, it would be less 
certain; but when they came into his presence, entered 
into familiar conversation with him, and handled him, 
deception was impossible. Some of the apostles were his 
own relatives, and had been brought up with him ; and all 
of them accompanied him during his ministry of several 
years; as members of his ownfamily, they lived, journeyed, 
ate, slept, and labored with him, in habits of the most inti- 
mate friendship ; and how could they mistake him after all 



SER. XVI.] THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 167 

this? Can a man know his own mother's son with whom 
he lives daily? Then the disciples could know Christ. 
The being who appeared to the disciples, professing to be 
Christ from the dead, must have been one of four things, 
viz., a good angel, bad angel, phantasm, or what he pro- 
fessed to be. Let us then, for the sake of argument, sup- 
pose him to be a good angel. If so, he was not Christ; 
and if he was not Christ, then did not Christ rise from the 
dead; but this good angel came with a falsehood, saying, 
he was Christ ; which cannot be reconciled to the character 
of a good angel, or the God that sent him. Suppose him 
to be a bad angel, then he was not Christ ; and, of course, 
Christ did not rise from the dead, but Satan sent his angel 
to make the people believe that Christ did rise. For what 
purpose ? To establish the truth of the Gospel, and thereby 
bring his own kingdom to naught ! But if the devil had no 
better policy than this, it would be well for us. Again, to 
suppose him to be a mere ideal being, would be to suppose 
that there is no certainty in the evidence of our senses ; and 
that, consequently, we can be certain of nothing whatever. 
More than once, our Savior, after his resurrection, said to 
his disciples, "Handle me, and feel me; for a spirit hath 
not flesh and bones as you see me have;" which they did 
repeatedly. Moreover "he took a piece of a broiled fish, 
and an honey-comb, and did eat before them." Now, 
if there is any certainty in those things which are seen, 
heard, and felt, then there is certainty that the disciples 
were not mistaken in the person they took for Christ after 
his resurrection. Who else could have appeared and 
vanished at pleasure; been the subject of angelic atten- 
dance; breathed on the disciples the Holy Ghost; and in 
open day, amidst admiring hundreds, have ascended to 
heaven on a bright cloud ? 

To all this evidence, it is objected by infidels, that the 
testimony of the witnesses is contradictory ; and, therefore, 



168 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. [SER. XVI 

incredible. This contradiction is supposed to be in the 
records of the four evangelists, respecting the time that the 
women went to the sepulchre. We deny any such contra- 
diction. There is, indeed, a little difference in the manner 
of their details; but none touching any important fact. 
Matthew says, "As it began to dawn towards the first day 
of the week, came Mary," &c. To dawn is to glimmer, 
and refers to the twilight. Mark says, "Very early in the 
morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the 
sepulchre at the rising of the sun." Not after the sun 
appeared above the horizon, but very early, when he was 
only approaching towards it. Luke says, in general terms, 
" Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the 
morning, they came," &c. John says, "The first day 
of the week cometh Mary, &c, early, when it was yet 
dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away," 
&c. Yet dark means before it is perfectly light; for she 
"seeth the stone," &c. In these four records, made by 
different persons, and at different times and places, there is 
a very striking coincidence of facts, with such a difference 
in the manner of relating them, as is calculated to exclude 
all suspicion of any concerted plan or design to impose 
on man by the writers. They are agreed: (1.) That indi- 
viduals went to the sepulchre. (2.) That they were the 
same individuals. (3.) Went on the same errand. (4.) 
The same day of the week. (5.) The same hour of the 
day, viz., between day-break and the appearance of the sun 
above the horizon. This subject admits of many forcible 
illustrations, which we have not now time to make. Let 
the people supply these ; and we pass on to notice another 
objection to the evidences of Christ's resurrection, viz : — 

Is it not possible, after all, that the whole of these 
accounts, by the above named authors, were forged and 
imposed on mankind by some shrewd person or persons ? 
We answer, that such a forgery and imposition were 



SER. XVI.] THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 169 

impossible, either 'at the time in which those things are 
said to have taken place, or at any subsequent period 
whatever. And now for the reasons. Suppose a man 
should publish a book, setting forth that there was in 
Washington City, recently, a very strange and extra- 
ordinary man, claiming to act under a divine commission, 
who healed the sick without medicine, restored withered 
and amputated limbs, gave hearing to the deaf, sight to 
the blind, and speech to the dumb ; that he had complete 
control over the winds and tempests ; assembled, by his 
secret call, the inhabitants of the Atlantic ocean in the river 
Potomac at pleasure ; and that at certain times and places, 
designated in this book, raised the dead in the presence 
of thousands of the citizens of Washington; often had 
public disputes in the Capitol with the principal men of 
this nation; that finally he was tried before the Supreme 
Court of the United States on an indictment for high 
treason ; and being condemned without any evidence 
against him, was, in the most public manner, executed as a 
malefactor ; and that all the people of Washington are wit- 
nesses of these things ; would any body believe this narra- 
tive ? Or if it were likely to meet with public confidence 
abroad, would no one in that place contradict it? Certain- 
ly, they would all rise up and say, this book is a scanda- 
lous imposition ; no such person was here ; no such trans- 
actions took place ; much less are we witnesses of these 
things; the representatives too of the people in Congress, 
would give it the lie in every district throughout the nation ; 
and the book, with its author, would have their merited 
disgrace. And yet all this would be quite as plausible, as 
the imposition now talked of in the objection. The 
miracles of Christ "were not done in a corner." The 
recorders of them give us the times when, places where, 
and the living thousands by whom they were known to 
have taken place, mostlv in and about the great city of Je- 

15 



170 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. [sER. XVI. 

rusalem. Yet even his enemies, that "are appealed to as 
witnesses, deny them not, but acknowledge the facts; 
while his friends respond, " "We are witnesses of these 
things." 

But could not such a forgery and imposition be practiced 
on the world at sometime subsequent to the period in 
which the facts recorded in the New Testament are said to 
have taken place? By no means. This is as impossible 
as the other. Suppose some man, five hundred years 
hence, should publish a history of North America, and 
state therein, that about the middle of the eighteenth cen- 
tury, there was a flourishing republic in this country ; but 
the French made war upon and destroyed it ; that they 
erected instead thereof a cruel monarchy ; established 
Popery by the civil law ; and put to death all Protestants 
that would not swear allegiance to the new king, and pro- 
claim the Pope infallible ; who would believe this history ? 
Where would be the history of the British colonies, the 
Declaration of Independence, history of the Revolution, 
Constitution of the United States, journals of Congress, 
bills of rights in the several states, and histories of the 
several Protestant Churches amongst us ? Now, this argu- 
ment applies with all its force to the subject before us; for 
as such a history of North America would be contradicted 
by each one of these documents, so would the New Testa- 
ment, if a forgery, have been contradicted by every record 
of the Jewish nation, every public document in the Roman 
empire, and every respectable author throughout the world ! 
But no such contradiction ever was, or ever can be brought 
forward. 

It is a matter of consolation, that we are not necessarily 
obliged to range the fields of antiquity to find evidence 
of Christ's resurrection. We have living witnesses at 
hand. When he was about to leave his disconsolate chil- 
dren, he said, " If I go away I will send you another Com- 



SER. XVI.] THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 171 

forter, that shall abide with you for ever. * * * When 
the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, is come, he shall 
teach you all things. * * * He shall reprove (con- 
vince) the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment." 
Has the sinner felt convicted for his sins ? Then he is our 
witness that Christ rose and ascended. Does the humble 
child of God feel the witness of the Spirit? He testifies 
the same fact. Here then is " a cloud of witnesses," by 
whom we may know the truth of the matter. The pious 
minister knows that Christ has risen from the dead, when 
he feels him in the pulpit ; the trembling sinner, when he 
feels his awful power ; the penitent, when Christ removes 
all his sorrows ; the faithful belfever, when Christ is formed 
in his heart the hope of glory ! 

We have dying witnesses of Christ's resurrection. And 
here we are quite indifferent, whether you bring forward 
Christians or infidels. If the latter, in most instances, 
perhaps nine out of ten, if not ninety-nine out of a hundred 
of all the votaries of infidelity, dying in their senses, 
renounce their sentiments, either directly or indirectly, and 
wish then to try the virtue of the Christian's hope. If the 
former, how many hundreds and thousands, fondly clinging 
to the cross of Jesus, smile at the king of terrors, and 
cheerfully launch into the boundless deep. Having the love 
which is, not only sweeter than life, but stronger than 
death, they, in preference to renouncing " the Lord that 
bought them," suffer the confiscation of their goods, separa- 
tion from friends," cruel tortures ; and, finally, shout victory 
amidst devouring flames, and fly home to heaven. 

Lastly. If Christ rose not from the dead, the Christian 
revelation is a fable; and if so, we know not whence we 
came, nor whither we go. Alike ignorant of our origin and 
end, we wander for a season amidst privations, toils, and 
sorrows, and dying, take a leap in the dark, amidst painful 
suspense, restless anxieties, and awful forebodings ! But 



172 THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. [sER. XVII 

Christ rose from the dead. Christianity is a solemn and 
glorious truth; and though we are sinners, Christ is a 
Savior — a loving, willing, powerful Savior, that has con- 
quered all our enemies, sanctified the graves of the saints, 
and opened up a new and living way from earth to heaven. 
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which 
are above ;" so when this mortal pilgrimage shall end, 
"your flesh shall rest in hope." In the morning of 
eternity, he, who said, "I am the resurrection and the 
life," will cause the day of heaven to break upon your dark 
and silent abode. By his transforming power you shall 
become all glorious and divine ; and with all the redeemed 
from the earth, celebrate his love and power for ever. This 
is no fiction, no dream. Our Savior entered the territories 
of death, encountered the king of terrors single-handed, 
conquered and led him captive; and as he returned from 
the conflict on the third day, dragging death at his chariot 
wheel, proclaimed to all his disciples, "I am he that liveth, 
and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore;" and 
thereby virtually renewed the promise, "Because I live, ye 
shall live also." Amen. 



SERMON XVII. 

THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. 

" The poor have the Gospel preached to them," Matthew xi, 5. 
During the confinement of John the Baptist in prison, 
under the persecuting reign of Herod, he sent two of his 
disciples unto Christ to ask him this question, "Art thou 
he that should come, or do we look for another?" What 
John's object was in causing this inquiry to be made of 
Christ, has been a matter of speculation to readers of the 
Bible. We presume his design was to benefit those whom 
he sent, that they might hear for themselves, and be estab- 



m. 



SER. XVII.] THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. 173 

lished in the truth. But whatever was intended to be 
accomplished by putting the question, the answer given 
was worthy of its author. Had our Savior answered 
directly, "I am the promised Messiah," he would only 
have reiterated what he had virtually said before, without 
producing any other effect upon his enemies than to 
increase their rage; he therefore acted wisely to answer 
indirectly. Again, his answer indicated his sincerity. He, 
who is to judge all men according to their works, is willing 
to be judged by his own works, and simply replied, " Go 
and show John again those things which ye do hear and 
see : the blind receive their sight? and the lame walk, the 
lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised 
up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them." 
This answer also afforded the most conclusive evidence 
of Messiahship, by showing himself to be the author of the 
very works which the ancient prophets had foretold Mes- 
siah should perform. We shall confine our remarks to the 
last of these signs of the Messiahship of Christ — that is, 
"The poor have the Gospel preached to them;" and will 
observe the following order : — 

I. The Gospel. 

II. The subjects of the Gospel. 

I. The word Gospel is slightly modified in its meaning 
and application, as it stands connected with certain quali- 
fying words and phrases. As a system of moral govern- 
ment, it is called "the Gospel of the kingdom;" and as a 
system of mercy and favor, it is called "the Gospel of the 
grace of God." Again, it is called " the Gospel of Christ," 
because it contains a history of his conception, birth, life, 
miracles, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension, glorifi- 
cation, and intercession; and "the Gospel of peace," 
because it proposes terms of reconciliation to man. It is 
called "the Gospel of God," because he is its author; and 
" the everlasting Gospel," because it is the final dispensa- 
15* 



174 THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. [sER. XVII. 

tion of his mercy to man ; and the consequence of accepting 
or rejecting it, will be endless life or endless death. 

The Gospel, simply considered, means good news ; 
hence the salutation of the angel to the shepherds, " And 
the angel said unto them, Fear not : for behold, I bring you 
good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 
For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a 
Savior, which is Christ the Lord." This is altogether the 
best news that ever fell upon the ear, or thrilled with joy 
the heart of sinful man. 

The Gospel is good news, because it is entitled to our 
full confidence. Paul said to Timothy, "This is a faithful 
saying, and worthy of all acceptation," or a true declara- 
tion, and worthy of the entire confidence of all men, "that 
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Mil- 
lions of our fallen race have already experienced the truth 
of this blessed saying. We do not intend here to argue 
the question of the truth of the Gospel on a large scale ; 
but to such as do not allow Paul's word, or our experience, 
to be sufficient testimony, we would just say, what they 
cannot deny, that the Gospel is true or false ; and, in any 
event, we, who believe and practice it, are on safer ground 
than themselves. If the Gospel, which affords us so much 
consolation in life and in death, should turn out to be but a 
cunningly devised fable, our prospect of future bliss is still 
as good as their own, themselves being judges; but, on the 
contrary, if the Gospel is a true revelation from God to 
man, as we verily believe it is, then it will follow, that 
while infidels sink to a hell of interminable misery, Chris- 
tians will be exalted to a heaven of endless life and happi- 
ness. Seeing, therefore, that we have every thing to hope, 
and nothing to fear from the Gospel, as practical Chris- 
tians, we intend to hold fast our profession. 

Again, the Gospel is good news, because it is exactly 
adapted to our condition and wants as sinners, revealing a 






SER. XVII.] THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. 175 

Savior just such as our pitiable circumstances require. Are 
we ignorant? In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom 
and knowledge. Are we in darkness? He is the light 
of the world. Are we helpless? He has all power in 
heaven and in earth. Are we depraved ? He is holy and 
harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners. Are we 
guilty before God? He is our all-sufficient sacrifice for 
sin. Do we feel that we are ruined sinners? He came 
not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Are 
we affected with a sense of our lost condition ? He came 
to seek and to save that which was lost. In short, Jesus 
is eyes to the blind, ears to the deaf, feet to the lame, 
clothing to the naked, food to the- hungry, medicine to the 
sick, and life to the dying; and, consequently, just such a 
Savior as fallen, sinful man stands in need of. And to feel 
the whole force of this argument, we must recollect that 
Jesus is the only Savior, that no man cometh to the Father 
but by him, "neither is there salvation in any other; for 
there is none other name under heaven given among men, 
whereby we must be saved." To reject him, therefore, is 
madness. Suppose we are on a point of land, surrounded 
on three sides by water, and on the fourth by an over- 
powering enemy, waging a war of extermination upon us, 
so that if we go forward, to the right or left, we are 
drowned in the sea, and if we retreat, must fall on the 
sword of the enemy ; but suppose, further, that in this state 
of things, a friend should bring us a commodious vessel, 
and standing on the fore-deck should invite us all aboard, 
with a promise of safe landing beyond the reach of danger, 
would not every one of us press to that vessel, leading our 
wives and children with us ? But mark our inconsistency 
in reference to the safety of our souls! Before and on 
either side of us lies the boundless ocean of eternity, behind 
and hard after us is death, above is the frowning Judge 
of all the earth, and beneath us opens a burning hell, ready 



176 THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. [sER. XVII. 

to receive us as guilty sinners; despair, with her raven 
wings, already fans the flames of destruction about our 
depraved and devoted souls, and we are ready to exclaim, 
"Gone, gone, forever gone!" But hark! a voice breaks 
through the fearful gloom, sweeter than the music of heav- 
en. It is the voice of Jesus, saying, "I am the way, the 
truth, and the life." "Come unto me, all ye that labor 
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Such is 
the provision of the Gospel. It comes to our wounded 
spirits, as "good news from a far country;" and "blessed 
is the people that know the joyful sound." 

Finally, the Gospel is good news on account of the 
benevolence of its character. It originated in the love 
of God to man, it operates in mercy and goodness ; and to 
all its obedient subjects, it will finally result in endless 
felicity. But the point we wish to notice particularly, is 
this : while the Gospel affords much consolation to all who 
embrace it, to some it affords the only consolation within 
their reach. We allude to such as are borne down by the 
iron arm of oppression, or embarrassed by the most abject 
poverty, or bowed down with lingering disease, which 
renders them at once helpless and useless; or the unfor- 
tunate, whose indulgence of unhallowed passions has pro- 
cured them the unenviable position of out-casts from 
society, all of whom, in addition to their other difficulties, 
may be friendless. Now deprive people, in these circum- 
stances, of the hope of the Gospel, the last hope of the 
unfortunate, afflicted, and distressed, and they must be as 
miserable as they can be out of endless torment ; but with 
the Gospel, and the hopes which it inspires, they may be 
happy still. Though oppressed, they can appeal to God 
and confidently expect justice in the great day of accounts. 
Though poor, they expect an inheritance in "the wealthy 
place" above. Though afflicted, they joyfully anticipate a 
permanent home where "there shall be no more death, 



SER. XVII.] THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. 177 

neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more 
pain, for the former things are done away." And though 
discarded here by a fastidious world, and pointed out by 
the finger of scorn, when they should be fed by the hand 
of charity, on account of their misfortunes, they hope to be 
so purified through faith in the blood of the Lamb, as to be 
finally introduced to the society of saints and angels, and 
crowned as the sons and daughters of the King of kings ; 
all which hopes the Gospel secures to the humblest of its 
genuine converts and faithful subjects. Every man, there- 
fore, who is a real friend to human kind, is a friend to the 
Gospel, which alone can render us truly happy. He that 
opposes the Gospel, which is the only consolation of mil- 
lions of our race, opposes the best interest of man. He is 
not only an enemy of God and all righteousness, but a 
sworn enemy of his fellow creatures, a persecutor of the 
afflicted, distressed, and friendless, and a murderer of 
humanity itself; and, consequently, not worthy of the 
confidence of any, until he repents, retracts, and reforms. 
Having dwelt thus long on the nature of the Gospel, we 
proceed now to notice, 

II. The subjects of the Gospel. While the Gospel is to 
be preached "to every creature" — while it is "glad tidings 
of great joy which shall be unto all people," let it be 
specially observed for the honor of our holy religion, that 
"the poor have the Gospel preached to them." Ancient 
kings were wont to send rich presents to the most wealthy 
and powerful rulers, to conciliate favor; but the Lord sends 
his choice favors to the poorest of his subjects. Thus, the 
Gospel, as revealed in this dispensation, was first sent to 
poor shepherds when watching their flocks at night; and 
contrary to the expectation of the Jews, it was offered to 
publicans and sinners, as well as to themselves. If by the 
poor, be understood the poor in spirit, such as feel them- 
selves to be ruined sinners, destitute of grace, to them the 



178 THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. [sER. XVII. 

Gospel is sent in a special manner. Isaiah speaks of the 
ministry of Christ on this wise: "The Spirit of the Lord 
God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to 
preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to 
bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the cap- 
tives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound ; 
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day 
of vengeance of our God ; to comfort all that mourn ; to 
appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them 
beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment 
of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be 
called Trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, 
that he might be glorified." We are not mistaken as to the 
application of this prophecy ; for when Christ read and 
commented upon it in the synagogue, as Luke informs us, 
he said unto the people, "This day is this Scripture ful- 
filled in your ears." It is also worthy of remark, that he 
commenced his memorable sermon on the mount with 
these precious words: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for 
theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 

After all, we understand the words of the text to mean 
that those poor in regard to temporal blessings, have the 
Gospel preached to them. This was true in the days 
of Christ, when he sat upon the mount and taught multi- 
tudes, in the open air, the way of life and salvation, com- 
posed of all classes who chose to attend and hear: true, 
when he said to his disciples, "Ye have the poor always 
with you; but me ye have not always:" and true, when 
he gave direction in a parable to his ministers to go into the 
streets and lanes of the city, and bring in "the poor, and 
the maimed, and the halt, and the blind" to the Gospel 
supper. Many of this class obtained the true riches ; for 
James said, "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world 
rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath 
promised to them that love him?" And it is still true, 



SER. XVII.] THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR 179 

that the poor have the Gospel preached to them, at least 
in some places. The Wesleys and their fellow-laborers 
followed the example of Christ and his apostles, preaching 
not only in houses consecrated for public worship, but also 
in private dwellings, and even in streets and fields. Yes, 
our fathers were not ashamed to stand up at the corner 
of the street, in the market, in the open field, under the 
forest trees, or on a tomb-stone, and deliver the Gospel 
message. The consequence was, thousands of the poor, 
previously perishing for the bread of life, poured out from 
the alleys, the factories, and the mines, eagerly thronged 
round the man of God who cared for their souls, and were 
fed with "meat indeed and drink indeed." These efforts 
were attended and followed with a revival of the work 
of God, which continues to this day. Thus, while the 
clergy, who were zealous for order, spent much of their 
time in denouncing Wesley and his associates as schis- 
matics, fanatics, and madmen, God was giving to these, his 
persecuted servants, the souls of the poor, to shine as stars 
in their crown of rejoicing. Many of Wesley's sons still 
walk in his footsteps, resorting, when necessary, to street 
and field preaching, for the special benefit of the poor and 
the out-casts of society, who have no stated place of wor- 
ship where they feel free to attend. A butcher's block in 
the market, or a stump in the commons, answers for the 
pulpit of an extemporaneous preacher, whose heart is in 
the work ; but a silent grove, when the weather is mild and 
calm, is the best place for preaching in the world. The 
forest and the open heavens are friendly to the spirit of 
devotion; while the sound of prayer, of praise, and of 
instruction from the pulpit, spreads in open space without 
the obstruction of walls, like the circular wave on smooth 
water. It is a well ascertained fact, that a man can be 
heard by some four times as many people out of doors as 
he can within doors, provided the atmosphere be warm and 



180 THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. [sER. XVII. 

calm. Hence, it was, that Mr. Wesley, who was by no 
means vociferous, could be heard by twenty thousand 
people in Moorneld Commons ; and Mr. Whitefield, whose 
voice was stronger, could, according to Dr. Franklin's 
calculation, have been distinctly heard by thirty thousand 
from the court-house steps in Philadelphia. So far as our 
own little experience is any test of the principle, it is quite 
as easy to address four thousand people under a pleasant 
grove, as one thousand in a chapel. 

Several things, in Methodist economy, are favorable to 
the accomplishment of the glorious enterprise of preaching 
the Gospel to the poor. One is the plan of building 
chapels plain, cheap, and with free seats. Where churches 
are built in costly style, with pews to rent or sell, the poor, 
who are unable to build, buy or rent, are virtually excluded 
from houses of worship, and must live without the means 
of grace, or worship out of doors, or meet in small com- 
panies in their own dwellings. Pewed churches are 
intended to accommodate select congregations ; and a 
thinly attended house is therefore a natural, if not neces- 
sary part of the system. . It begins, progresses, and termi- 
nates in aristocracy. We have heard some of the advo- 
cates of pewed chapels, who seemed to possess more 
honesty than logical skill, use this argument: when the 
seats are free, every body can attend that chooses, and it is 
very unpleasant to have such notorious sinners in the con- 
gregation ; but if the seats are sold or rented, we can keep 
them out. Yes, truly, you could keep them out of a 
pewed church, and out of heaven, and answer for it when 
their blood shall be required of 3-011. But are you willing 
to exclude from the ministry of the Gospel, those who 
need it most, and take the responsibility on yourself? If 
so, where is your love for souls, and your zeal for Christ ? 
And what becomes of your doctrine of general atonement 
and possible salvation for all men ? Believers in the doc- 



SER. XVII.] THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. 181 

trine of unconditional election and reprobation might go 
for pews and select congregations with some show of con- 
sistency ; but among us, who teach and believe that God is 
no respecter of persons, but freely offers life and salvation 
to all, through him who "tasted death for every man," free 
grace and free seats should always be associated together. 
Where this part of our excellent Methodism is strictly 
adhered to, we generally have large congregations, and a 
prosperous state of the work, and are fully able to vie with, 
and usually to take the lead of other Churches ; but where 
the pew system obtains among us, we are generally crip- 
pled in our operations, and become feeble and inefficient 
We know it is- the custom in many pewed chapels to leave 
certain seats free for the accommodation of such as cannot 
buy or rent, but it seems to answer almost no purpose, 
except to give offense. Who is willing, thus publicly, to 
advertise his poverty or misfortune, his want of ability or 
inclination to afford himself a place in church, by taking 
" the poor seats?" Such humility is not to be expected in 
those who need the instruction of the Gospel most. Be- 
side, to require it, is not only uncharitable and unwise, but 
unscriptural. Such conduct in professed Christians meets 
with a merited rebuke in the following language of St. 
James : — 

"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if 
there come unto your assembly, a man with a gold ring, in 
goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile 
raiment ; and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay 
clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place ; 
and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my 
footstool: are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are 
become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved 
brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich 
in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised 

16 



182 THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. [sER. XVII. 

to them that love him ? But ye have despised the poor. 
Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the 
judgment-seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy 
name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfill the royal 
law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neigh- 
bor as thyself, ye do well : but if ye have respect to per- 
sons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as trans- 
gressors." 

If it be said, the " assembly" here spoken of was a civil, 
and not a religious assembly, we reply, that is by no means 
certain. But suppose it were so, the argument injures 
rather than benefits your cause ; for if it be "wrong to " have 
the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with 
respect of persons" in a civil assembly, how much more 
so in a religious meeting? Here, at least, it should be 
admissible for the rich and the poor to meet together, 
seeing the Lord is the maker of them all, " and the poor 
have the Gospel preached to them." 

Another regulation among us, which greatly favors the 
enterprise of preaching the Gospel to the poor, is, an 
itinerant ministry, aided by a local ministry, both being 
materially different from a settled ministry. The itinerant 
plan of spreading the Gospel, going into all the world and 
preaching the Gospel to every creature, as first established 
by Christ, and practiced by his apostles, and which is now 
substantially in use among the Methodists, is well adapted 
to the wants of the poorer classes of society, as well as all 
other classes. On this plan, some dozen or twenty con- 
gregations may be embraced in one circuit, under the pas- 
toral care of one minister, who, with the aid of his col- 
leagues, can afford them regularly the ministry of the word, 
the ordinances, and pastoral instruction; and the expense, 
though it could not be borne by one or two of these 
societies, when divided among the whole, is scarcely felt. 
This plan of preaching and teaching affords more privileges 






SER. XVII.] THE PRIVILEGES QF THE POOR. 183 

for the same amount of expense than any other, and per- 
haps does more good to the people of this country than all 
others put together ; hundreds of neighborhoods, which are 
unable to support settled ministers, and, so far as they are 
concerned, would still perish for lack of knowledge, are by 
our traveling and local preachers fed with the bread of life. 
Where the people can bear the expense, we form them 
into a circuit; and when they cannot, we form them into a 
mission, draw the funds to support the Gospel among them 
from the Missionary Society, " and the poor have the Gos- 
pel preached to them." 

We are far from supposing that all the good done in the 
world is done through our instrumentality; but we do 
believe that, as a people, the Methodists are specially 
charged with responsible duties in reference to the poor; 
for if we do not afford them the means of grace, with our 
extensive ministry, our liberal doctrines, and chapels with 
free seats, who will? Here then is work enough to employ 
our heads, and hands, and hearts, time, money, gifts and 
graces. The heathen world is full of God's poor, perish- 
ing for lack of knowledge, and we have but few there to 
teach them the way of life. Some, indeed, have taken 
their lives in their hand, left their country and friends 
behind, and gone to distant regions to hold up before the 
heathen the light of life, and tell them of Jesus and his 
dying love ; some have fallen in the work, and others are 
needed to supply their place. In reference to these, some 
touching incidents have occurred; one of which we beg 
leave here to recite. When the lamented young Stocker 
was undergoing an examination before the Oneida confer- 
ence, in 1838, with reference to his being ordained and 
sent missionary to Africa, he was asked if he did not 
know that the climate of Africa was considered unfriendly 
to the constitution of white men, and that he would be very 
liable to disease and death in that country? To which he 



184 THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. QsER. XVII 

replied in the affirmative. He was then asked, if, under 
all those circumstances, he was still inclined to go? And 
his answer was, "None of these things move me." But 
his words moved the hearts of all who heard them, so that 
a spirit of weeping came upon us. His bones now rest 
near those of Cox, "Wright, Barton, and others. 

We have also many poor in our own country — white, 
red, and colored, to whom the Gospel must be fully 
preached; and the work is in rapid progress. A brother, 
when urging the claims of the poor, in an ordination ser- 
mon before the Mississippi conference, in 1838, after quo- 
ting the words of Jesus, "The poor have the Gospel 
preached to them," added, "It is their privilege to have it, 
they ought to have it, they must have it." A voice from 
that part of the congregation where the preachers sat was 
heard proclaiming with emphasis, "They shall have it." 
To which the speaker and many others responded, 
"Amen;" and all seemed to be pleased with the thing in 
prospect; but the main point is to give it to them practi- 
cally. How are they to obtain it? Go with the mis- 
sionary as he traverses the rice dams of the Savannah to 
visit the hut of the sick and dying African, and read to him 
the word and promise of God ; attend him on the week- 
day, when he collects the children of the slaves and cate- 
chises them ; or on the Lord's day, when he journeys on 
foot from one congregation of colored people to another, 
and preaches Jesus and the resurrection to them, while the 
tears of penitence and tears of joy commingle, and fall like 
showers of rain all around him, and you will have a practi- 
cal illustration of the truth, " The poor have the Gospel 
preached to them." 

Again, follow the missionary to the wilderness, the 
abode of red men. Listen while he gives the "good talk" 
to the children of the woods ; then hear them with unaf- 
fected simplicity relate in council, or in love feast, the 



SER. XVII.] THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. 185 

effects of his preaching on their hearts and lives, and you 
will be convinced that " the poor have the Gospel preached 
to them." Much time, labor, and money have been 
expended on our Indian missions, but the stock is mostly 
productive ; and if nothing had been accomplished in any 
other mission, the thousand converts recently obtained 
among the Flat-heads in Oregon Territory, are well worth 
the whole expense of the Society on Indian missions. 
This extraordinary work of grace fully explains what 
Spirit it was that moved, and what hand it was that guided 
the Flat-head Chiefs some years since, in a perilous jour- 
ney of some three thousand miles through a wilderness 
infested with murderous tribes to St. Louis, to make inquiry 
about the white-man's Book, the white-man's religion, and 
the white-man's God. This work of grace also explains 
what Spirit it was that moved the Lees and their associates 
to leave their home and friends in New England, and take 
up their abode in that remote and solitary region, where it 
may be said truly, " The poor have the Gospel preached 
to them." 

We must not forget to make a passing remark on the 
poor of our own color, our former friends and neighbors, 
who have moved off to the new countries, where, unless 
found by the itinerant missionary, they must for a long 
time be destitute of the regular ministry of the Gospel, 
together with their children and their new neighbors ; but 
on our plan of operation, before their cabins are completed, 
the traveling preacher is there ready to consecrate them as 
class-rooms and chapels; for "the poor have the Gospel 
preached to them." 

And, now, could you accompany one of these laborious 
itinerants around his frontier circuit, you would have a 
practical comment on our text, worth more than all we 
have been able to say on the subject; but as that cannot be, 
allow us to attempt a brief description of his situation and 
16* 



186 THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. [SER. XVII. 

labor for one day, which may serve as a specimen of the 
whole. The dwelling where he passes the night is rudely 
constructed of logs, covered with clapboards, and floored 
with puncheons ; it contains but one room for the accom- 
modation of the family and their guest; but that one is 
quite useful, as it answers for parlor, dining-room, kitchen, 
bed-chamber, study, class-room, and chapel. When the 
preacher rises early in the morning, his first duty, after 
prayer and praise, is, the study of the Bible; which, if the 
weather be warm, he performs out of doors under the 
spreading branches of the trees ; or, if cold, he may be 
honored with a seat in one corner, to read by the light 
which comes down the broad chimney — a tolerable substi- 
tute for glass windows. Having finished his morning 
lesson, and received his simple repast, possibly consisting 
of wild meat, corn-cake, and spice-wood tea, he blesses his 
kind benefactors in the name of the Lord, and departs for 
his next appointment. While performing a journey of 
some fifteen miles on horse-back, over hill and vale, 
through an unbroken forest, he has a fine opportunity for 
thought and preparation to appear before his congregation. 
Nothing appears to divert his attention, except he may 
occasionally observe the bound of a wild deer, or be start- 
led by the screech of an owl, or the shriek of a panther. 
When he reaches the point of destination, he s^es no 
flourishing village, or steeple-house — hears no church bell, 
or organ; but he sees horses tied to the branches of the 
trees around a log school-house, or log cabin, and hears 
within the sound of sacred song by the waiting congrega- 
tion early in attendance. He retires a few minutes to kneel 
in prayer, and ask God's blessing on himself and his 
hearers. The carpet on which he kneels is formed of the 
fallen leaves of the forest trees, the desk on which he 
reclines is an old mossy log; and the canopy under which 
he worships the open heavens. Here he pleads for a bles- 



SER. XVII.] THE PRIVILEGES OF THE POOR. 187 

sing in the name of Christ. As he rises from prayer, Jesus 
whispers in his ear of faith, "Lo, I am with you always, 
even to the end of the world." As he enters the door, 
every eye turned on the minister seems to say, welcome 
thou blessed of the Lord. He reads his chapter, and gives 
out the excellent hymn, commencing thus :— • 

" Jesus, my all, to heaven is gone ; 
He whom I fix my hopes upon : 
His track I see, and I'll pursue 
The narrow way, till him I view." 

The people all rise and sing together with the spirit and 
with the understanding; they then kneel in prayer with 
much simplicity and devotion ; the preacher prays like one 
talking with God, and the people heartily respond, Amen. 
When they rise and have sung a song of Zion, the minister 
reads his text, possibly in these words: " The poor have 
the Gospel preached to them." He speaks as the oracles 
of God, in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. 
Sinners are cut to the heart, as by the sword of the Spirit ; 
penitents prove that the Gospel is the power of God unto 
salvation; the preacher is clothed with light as with a 
garment, and the saints of God shout aloud for joy. The 
class meeting which follows the sermon is like a feast of 
marrow to the soul, and the statements of the members are 
living testimonies of the power of saving grace : true con- 
verts flow into the Church in the wilderness, such as shall 
be everlastingly saved; and who in worlds of light and 
glory will have occasion to rejoice that they ever experi- 
enced this glorious truth, "The poor have the Gospel 
preached to them." 



188 THE HEALED LEPER. [SER. XVIII. 

SERMON XVIII. 

NAAMAN, THE LEPER, HEALED. 

"And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My 
father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou 
not have done it 1 how much rather then, when he saith to thee, 
Wash, and be clean?" 2 Kings v, 13. 

These words refer to Naaman, who, the sacred historian 
tells us, was a great man. But as it is frequently the case, 
that men of distinguished abilities have some deep mortifi- 
cation connected with their history to counteract pride, so 
it was with Naaman, who " was great with his master, and 
honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance 
unto Syria : and was a mighty man in valor, but he was a 
leper." 

The circumstances of his cure were very remarkable. 
The Syrians warred with Israel, and went out by com- 
panies ; and in one of their campaigns, they brought cap- 
tive from Israel a little maid, and she waited on Naaman's 
wife. And while she witnessed, daily, the grievous afflic- 
tion of her master, she said to her mistress, "Would to 
God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria ! for 
he would recover him of his leprosy." Perhaps giving, at 
the same time, a more perfect history of Elisha, the great 
prophet of Israel, than is here recorded. Now when this 
got to the king of Syria, he resolved on sending his afflicted 
officer to be cured. But great people must have great 
ways. So he sends him to Jehoram, king of Israel, to 
get him to superintend the cure, lading his general with ten 
talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten 
changes of raiment, as a kind of kingly present for benefits 
to be conferred on the patient. To make all complete, 
Ben-hadad, king of Syria, addressed a letter to Jehoram, 
king of Israel, requesting him to recover Naaman from his 
leprosy. When Jehoram read the letter, he concluded, 



SER. XVIII.] THE HEALED LEPER. 189 

that Ben-hadad, knowing the thing to be impossible, only 
designed contention and war; consequently, he was exceed- 
ingly vexed, and rent his clothes, saying, "Am I a God, to 
kill and make alive, that he hath sent to me to recover a 
man from his leprosy? See how he seeketh a quarrel 
against me." 

When Elisha heard of these things, he sent unto the 
king, saying, "Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? 
Send him to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet 
in Israel:" of which the king appears to have been igno- 
rant, as is too often the case with men high in rank. 
Then Naaman repaired to the house of the prophet, and 
with his chariot, horses, and servants, stood before the 
door, when Elisha sent a messenger to direct him to wash 
seven times in the river Jordan. At this reception, and 
with such a prescription, Naaman was disgusted, and 
turned ofT in a rage, saying, "Behold, I thought, He will 
surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name 
of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, 
and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers 
of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?" Then 
it was, that his servants addressed him in the language 
of the text, "And his servants came near, and spake unto 
him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do 
some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how 
much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be 
clean?" Let us now consider, 

I. The sickness of Naaman, and the resemblance it 
bears to man's disease. 

The leprosy was considered one of the most distressing 
and humiliating of all the afflictions among the ancients. 
The patient was covered with a coated substance like white 
scales ; the eyes were red and swollen ; the hair was stif- 
fened; and it was attended with a severe itching sensa- 
tion. This disease is perhaps, of all others, the most 



190 THE HEALED LEPER. [SER. XVIII. 

striking emblem of sin. To trace the analogy between 
them, we may fix on a few particulars. That the leprosy 
was a very powerful disease, may be known from its 
symptoms and effects; and so of sin. See the raging 
epidemic of our fallen nature ! how it disorders every thing 
in society. Dissipation, profanity, licentiousness and fraud 
abound, until "the earth is filled with violence." Strong, 
indeed, must be the fountain from whence all these streams 
of iniquity flow. Well may it be said by the prophet, 
" The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint." 

The leprosy is diffusive. It appears first in a small 
white spot, and spreads until every part is covered, and the 
whole man affected. Now, this is the nature of sin. Men 
seldom become openly wicked of a sudden. They gener- 
ally begin to show their natural corruption on a small scale ; 
for vice is progressive. The well educated youth, when 
first released from parental authority, is strictly moral ; and 
the first examples of distinguished wickedness he meets 
with fill his mind with horror ; but the second strike him 
with less force, and so on, until they cease to affect him at 
all. Thus prepared by example, he begins to participate 
in some of the less criminal follies of the world, and then 
advances as his conscience will bear it, till he, who was 
once sober, discreet, and amiable, becomes a champion in 
folly, and a ring-leader in vice. And when we have once 
thrown off the fear of God, where may we promise our- 
selves to stop ? 

Leprosy is contagious; and, hence, the law of Moses 
required the leprous person to be excluded from the congre- 
gation of Israel. And, in a qualified sense, at least, so is 
sin. Being formed for society and social life, the examples 
of others influence us ; and their spirit, whether good or 
bad, is readily imbibed. Hence, while the pious have their 
hands strengthened by their brethren, the impious are more 
hardened in sin by the society of the wicked. And on this 



SER. XVIII.] THE HEALED LEPER. 191 

principle are founded all the precepts of the Gospel which 
require our separation from the ungodly, allowing us to 
intermingle with them only so far as necessary business, 
and the offices of kindness to their souls and bodies 
demand. "How can two walk together, except they be 
agreed?" Let this make us cautious how we form con- 
nections and associations in the world, especially those for 
life. Paul's precept is good: "Be ye not unequally yoked 
together with unbelievers." The way to heaven is difficult 
enough at best, even when we have all the aid we can get ; 
how then must it be when our nearest connections, our 
constant inmates are, not only in our way, but opposed to 
every step we take in the way of righteousness ? Can two 
opposite courses lead to the same point? Suppose here are 
two neighbors setting out on a journey, one goes eastward, 
and the other westward. Being both citizens of the same 
town, they start together ; but when they reach the corner 
of the square, how will they manage ? The one traveling 
east must give his journey over and go with his friend; or 
the one traveling west abandon his journey and go with his 
neighbor : otherwise, there will be a separation. The ap- 
plication is easy. Two persons agree to share the ills and 
pleasures of life together in the marriage state — one a Chris- 
tian, the other an infidel ; of course, one is bound for heav- 
en, and the other for hell. Now the Christian must get 
him converted and turned towards heaven, or the infidel 
must induce her to renounce Christ and go with him to 
hell; or there must be a present separation of feelings, 
purposes, pursuits, and enjoyments, and in the end a 
separation for ever. And as we are by nature far more 
prone to evil than good, so there is far stronger probability 
in such a case that the infidel will prevail than the other. 
" Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye 
separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; 
and I will receive you; and will be a Father unto you, 



192 THE HEALED LEPER. [sER. XVIII. 

and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord 
Almighty." 

The leprosy is lothsome ; so much so, that the eastern 
people generally viewed it as a disease inflicted by Provi- 
dence, to punish the victim for some uncommon crime or 
crimes. In confirmation of this, we refer to the case 
of Gehazi, who, having fraudulently got the money and 
raiment from Naaman, after his cure, by the mean artifices 
of deceit and falsehood, was addressed by the prophet 
Elisha thus : " The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall 
cleave unto thee and to thy seed for ever. And he went 
out from his presence a leper as white as snow." But 
what is so lothsome as sin, producing "wounds, bruises, 
and putrifying sores?" What occasions all the disgrace 
amongst mortals, at the sight of which virtue sickens, and 
piety bleeds? Whence the loss of confidence in com- 
merce? Whence the broils in civil, and the carnage in 
military operations ? What causes that once lovely female 
to weep tears of despondency over a fallen reputation? 
Why are our jails and state prisons filled with wretched 
criminals and convicts? All these are the offspring of 
rebellion against God. What then can be so hateful in his 
sight, and in the sight of all holy beirtgs, as sin? The 
leper was excluded from the congregation of Israel for a 
season; but the finally impenitent sinner will "be driven 
from the presence of God, and the glory of his power," for 
ever and ever. Let us now, 

II. Notice Naaman' s cure. 

There was no medicine that reached the case of a leper ; 
and despairing of any relief in that way, he usually, threw 
himself entirely on the mercy of God. There was, indeed, 
a kind of ceremonial atonement made for him, calculated to 
inspire his faith in the promised Savior. Two birds were 
taken; one of them slain, and the blood thereof was put in 
a basin, with hysop, &c. ; and the living bird, being dipped 



SER. XVIII.] THE HEALED LEPER. 193 

in the blood of the slain bird, was turned loose. This, it 
is thought, was typical of the cleansing of the sinner's 
heart, through faith in the blood of Christ, who is the only- 
physician that can cure our sin-sick souls, or heal our 
wounded spirits; hence the danger and folly of rejecting 
him. If we had a wasting consumption preying on our 
vitals, and were given over by friends and physicians, and 
an extraordinary person were to call on us and produce 
satisfactory evidence that he could and would restore us to 
health, would we not employ him ? Most certainly ; and 
that without regard to price. Mark then our inconsistency ! 
we have worse than the slow consumption ; an old, heredi- 
tary complaint, affecting all the powers of soul and body, 
which will infallibly bring us down to the dust; for "the 
wages of sin is death." And moreover, if we die in sin, 
we must die "the second death," die for ever; and still 
live to feel our anguish ! But here is one that can relieve. 
He is both able and willing; "his power is present to 
heal." Hear him, "He that believeth in me, though he 
were dead, yet shall he live again: he that liveth, and 
believeth in me, shall never die," eternally. Leprous soul, 
come to Christ, his skill is great, and his terms are easy ; 
even without money or price. Naaman's washing in 
Jordan was a substitute for the ceremonial purification, 
above described. 

But he had objections to the means prescribed; they 
were too simple for one of his elevated rank in life. If 
silver, gold, and raiment could have bought relief, he was 
ready to pay in advance ; or if some great military achieve- 
ment would have sufficed, he was ready to perform it ; but 
when it was only to wash in Jordan, he was offended, 
and exclaimed, "Behold, I thought, He will surely come 
out to me," &c. ; that is, he wished not only Elisha, but 
Elisha's God to come down to his terms. But base as this 
was, how many of our day are guilty of the same ? We 

17 



194 THE HEALED LEPER. [SER. XVIII. 

want salvation, but we want it on our own terms: the 
Lord cannot come to our terms, and we will not go to his. 
If religion was fashionable, and cost so much that common 
people could not buy it, the rich and great would have it ; 
yea, they would have it then, if it cost sea voyages, land 
tours, all their money, and mortgages on their whole 
estates ; but when God offers to give it to them, it does not 
suit their fancy. They conclude that the poor and igno- 
rant may have it on such terms, but it is not suitable to 
their dignity. What! we repent, fall on our knees, wring 
our hands in sorrow, and ask God to have mercy on us ? 
No, no. " Who is the Almighty, that we should serve 
him ? and what profit shall we have, if we pray unto him ?" 

After all, when Naaman consented to make the experi- 
ment, it proved successful; "his flesh came like the flesh 
of a little child;" the scaly substance on the surface disap- 
peared, and the new skin forming appeared tender as that 
of the infant. In like manner, all who faithfully use the 
means appointed of God, find them to have the desired 
effect, and prove that it is not a vain thing to serve God ; 
for though we may not be able, on any philosophical prin- 
ciple, to see the connection between the means and the 
end, yet we can feel in our souls " Christ formed the hope 
of glory," and that is enough. 

III. We must now close with a few inferences from the 
whole. 

God works by means. We do not say he is dependent 
on means ; but, in general, he chooses to work by them : 
otherwise, why was it necessary for Naaman to travel 
from one kingdom to another; to visit the prophet; and 
thence repair to the river Jordan, which, of itself, had no 
healing qualities over other waters, and bathe therein seven 
times, only that the Lord works by means? Hence, we 
say, they are entirely necessary to our salvation, without 
attaching either merit to them, or glory to ourselves. 



... 



SER. XVIII.] THE HEALED LEPER. 195 

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: 
for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do 
of his good pleasure." 

The grace of God in the heart makes men humble. 
When Naaman approached the door of the prophet, he had 
a great deal of self-exaltation. How many airs and flour- 
ishes he showed, riding in all the pomp of state, with his 
retinue of servants ! We imagine he said in his heart, how 
high I stand in my nation ! My name, how it sounds ! 
My war achievements, how far they are known! His 
proud heart rebelled at the plain reception he met with; 
but when he was healed, behold, how humble! What 
concessions and humiliations before the prophet ! So of all 
who obtain mercy. The high-minded are brought low; 
the extravagant become plain ; the coxcomb is turned into 
a rational being; and the scornful belle into a modest saint, 
to shine in all the beauties of holiness. 

When God's people are called to suffer, it is for wise 
purposes. This is fully verified in the case of the little 
Israelitish maid alluded to in the introduction. Nothing 
could be more affecting than to see this young innocent, 
torn from her friends and country, led captive by lawless 
free-booters to a strange land, exposed to the outrages of a 
licentious soldiery, and surrounded with all the terrors of a 
Syrian camp. But Jehovah was her friend, and soon the 
wisdom of his providence begins to be developed. By her 
declaration, confidence is inspired in the king of Syria ; an 
expedition is fitted out to the holy land ; the glory of the 
prophetic office revealed ; the knowledge of the true God 
extended, and heathens bow before him in distant countries. 
The God of Israel can do great things by small means. 
Say not, we have no gifts. Open your mouths wide, and 
he will fill them. Trust in him. Go on, and suffer wil- 
lingly ; "for all things work together for good to them that 
love God." To him be glory now and ever. Amen. 



196 THE WAY TO HEAVEN. [sER. XIX. 

SERMON XIX. 

THE WAY TO HEAVEN. 

" Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, 
let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me," Mat- 
thew xvi, 24. 

Our Savior was a very plain preacher. He exposed all 
the errors, sins, and follies of mankind in a pointed manner. 
This, of course, roused the vicious principles of their fallen 
nature, and made him some enemies, especially among the 
self-righteous; yet he manifested such meekness of wis- 
dom, persuasive eloquence, and purity of life and motives, 
as made him greatly admired, and constantly followed by 
thousands. But amongst the immense crowds of people 
that thronged after him, there was a variety of characters, 
influenced by various motives. Some sincerely desired to 
learn the will of God, that they might do it ; others were 
prompted by a spirit of captiousness and persecution; 
some, perhaps, had no other inducement to hear him than 
to gratify vain curiosity; and some followed him for the 
loaves and fishes. 

This made it the more necessary that he should explain 
to the people the only way in which they could follow him 
acceptably, viz : " If any man will come after me, let him 
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." 
Here, as in other places, practical piety is made to consist 
of two grand principles — shunning all evil, and pursuing 
all good. Thus Isaiah said, "Cease to do evil; learn to 
do well.'-' Paul said, "Lay aside every weight, and the 
sin which doth so easily beset you ; and run with patience 
the race set before you, looking unto Jesus the author and 
finisher of your faith ;" and Christ would have us to deny 
ourselves of evil, and follow him, bearing our cross. 

Let it be observed, Christ addressed himself particularly 
to his disciples ; they were his scholars or learners. He is 



SER. XIX.] THE WAY TO HEAVEN. 197 

compared to a teacher, and his Church to a school. Thus 
he says, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly;" and 
to learn of this lowly teacher, we must enter into his spirit. 
Anciently, it was the custom for scholars to take lessons 
sitting at the master's feet; hence, Mary "sat at Jesus' 
feet, and heard his word;" and Paul "was brought up at 
the feet of Gamaliel" the great. We, too, should remem- 
ber our ignorance of the things of God, humble our- 
selves before him, and seek to become wise unto salva- 
tion, by receiving the wholesome admonition of James in 
these words: "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness, and 
superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the 
ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls." 

Before we commence the main discussion of the subject, 
permit us to observe, that in preaching the great doctrines 
of the Gospel, we frequently overlook a number of smaller 
things ; which, however, are of much importance to us, 
having considerable influence on our character and useful- 
ness as Christians. If, therefore, we should, on this occa- 
sion, deal in what some people call little things, you will, 
we trust, bear with our simplicity. We shall proceed to 
notice, 

I. The things of which we are to deny ourselves. 

II. The duties which we are to perform. 

1. We are to deny ourselves of needless self-indulgence, 
to which we are naturally prone in thought, word, and 
deed. In our thoughts, we should carefully deny our- 
selves the practice of dwelling on every subject that is low, 
groveling, polluting, or in any wise calculated to inflame 
the passions of pride, anger, revenge , and, especially, any 
thing impious, or offensive to God, pursuing trains of digni- 
fied reflection on profitable subjects, particularly sacred 
subjects, and thus "bring into captivity every thought to 
the obedience of Christ." This is certainly possible ; for 
though we cannot prevent the world, flesh, and Satan, from 
17* 



198 THE WAY TO HEAVEN. [sER. XIX. 

suggesting evil thoughts to us, yet we are no more obliged 
to cherish them, than we would be to entertain robbers, 
who come and seek admittance into our houses for the 
purpose of plundering them. In our words, we should 
deny ourselves every thing vulgar, profane, trifling, unkind, 
untrue, slanderous, or unnecessarily offensive. The power 
of articulation, so cultivated as to enable us readily to inter- 
change thoughts on various subjects, is one of the choice 
temporal blessings of God to man. What a pity it is, that 
such a noble faculty should ever be perverted to the base 
purposes of profanity, blasphemy, persecution, falsehood, 
slander, and evil speaking, instead of being employed in 
giving instruction and comfort to man, or in offering prayer 
and praise to God! Respecting our actions, we should 
regulate them in all important cases by "the law and the 
testimony ;" and in things of minor importance, according 
to our best discretion; at all times, denying ourselves 
of whatever is wrong. We know that some say, " We 
might as well do a thing as to think it." But would you 
as soon a man would cheat you out of your estate, as to 
think of it, or intend it? To think evil is bad, to speak 
evil is worse, but to do evil is worst of all. 

2. We must deny ourselves needless recreations. Some 
relaxation from business and study, we know, is proper ; 
but this may be had, sufficiently, by a change of employ- 
ment, taking a walk, calling on a friend for social con- 
versation, reading a periodical, or some book of memoirs, 
or travels, or any other innocent way we may choose. 
Certainly it is not necessary to this recreation, that 
we should go to a fashionable party, where they deal in 
levity, or evil speaking; or to a barbecue, to hear them 
swear and drink toasts ; or a ball, to revel and dance ; or a 
circus, to see monkies ride ponies, for the entertainment 
of fools; or a gambling-room, to cheat and wrangle; or a 
theatre, to destroy, in our minds, all desire for solid 



SER. XIX.] THE WAY TO HEAVEN. 199 

improvement, squander our money, make our young men 
more effeminate, and our young females less modest; and, 
worse than all, blast all religious impressions of the heart. 
All of these are not only needless, but sinful recreations ; 
and, therefore, we must deny ourselves of them. 

3. "We should deny ourselves all needless ornaments. 
Here we begin to tread upon delicate ground ; for there are 
many in these days of refinement, who think that it is not 
only unnecessary for ministers to discuss such subjects as 
that of dress in the pulpit, but that it is letting themselves 
down below the dignity of the sacred office ! What a mis- 
fortune it is then, that such wise people did not live in the 
days of the prophets and apostles ; for they had no more 
judgment than to declaim frequently, pointedly, and power- 
fully, against vain superfluities of all kinds ! Thus, Isaiah 
said, "Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters 
of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks 
and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and 
making a tinkling with their feet : therefore the Lord will 
smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters 
of Zion, and Jehovah will expose their nakedness. In that 
day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling 
ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round 
tires like the moon, the chains, and the bracelets, and the 
mufflers, the bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and 
the head-bands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings, the rings, 
and nose-jewels, the changeable suits of apparel, and the 
mantles, and the wimples, ' and the crisping-pins, the 
glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails. 
And it shall come to pass, that instead of perfume a putrid 
ulcer ; and instead of a girdle a rent ; and instead of well 
set hair baldness ; and instead of a stomacher a girding 
of sackcloth: and a sun-burnt skin instead of beauty." 
(See Benson's translation.) Also, Paul said to Timothy, 
"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in 



200 THE WAY TO HEAVEN. [SER. XIX. 

modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not 
with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, but 
(which becometh women professing godliness) with good 
works." And again, Peter said, " Whose adorning let it 
not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and 
of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel ; but let it be 
the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corrupti- 
ble, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is 
in the sight of God of great price." 

These quotations may serve to show, that if ministers 
are degraded by condemning superfluities, they are still in 
honorable company, that of the prophets and apostles ; and 
that whoever indulges in any superfluous ornaments, dis- 
pleases God ; for he as pointedly forbids them as he does 
any thing else. " But," says one, " we can well afford it; 
for we deal with our own money, buy what we want, and 
pay for all we get." And how does it come to pass, that 
you are in such easy circumstances ? By whose providence 
are you thus favored with plenty? " What hast thou that 
thou hast not received?" We wish you to consider, our 
respected hearers, that you are stewards of God in these 
matters, and that all you have is only lent to you by him, 
which he can take away at any time. And what does he 
require you to do with the capital he has intrusted you 
with? After retaining enough to carry on necessary busi- 
ness, and supply the reasonable wants of yourselves and 
families, to give the balance, much or little, to aid the cause 
of piety, and the cause of humanity; and thus "make to 
yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness ; that 
when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habi- 
tations." We ask then, can you afford to take the Lord's 
money intrusted with you for these noble objects, and 
apply it to another and an opposite use, by indulging in 
superfluities? Can you, especially, who are professors 
of religion, afford to break the rules of the Church, the 






SER. XIX.] THE WAY TO HEAVEN. 201 

precepts of the Gospel, and inflict deep wounds on the 
pious feelings of your brethren? Can any one afford to 
offend God knowingly ? Or can any people afford to injure 
themselves? We would ask, respectfully, if that young 
female can afford to environ her delicate frame with that 
engine of death, which now presents her in a distorted 
form, deprives her of free respiration, and is laying the 
foundation of a fatal decline of health? Or can that 
fashionable young man afford to contract his waist with a 
girdle, until he is both deformed and helpless ? In a word, 
can any of us afford to cultivate in our hearts the most 
foolish, most troublesome, most hateful, and most self- 
destructive of all passions ? We mean pride. 

But the people say, "These things do not make us 
proud." What things? Superfluous ornaments. This, 
we think, is a mistake ; for pride is a principle capable 
of being excited by a mere trifle ; and the smaller the con- 
sideration, the more contemptible the passion appears ; 
thus, he who is proud of a watch key, is more silly than 
he who is proud of a stately edifice. However, we will 
suppose, for the sake of argument, that these things do not 
increase our pride ; yet they are the certain proofs that we 
are proud. If I see a horse in the commons with a yoke 
on, my natural conclusion is, that horse is a rogue. "But," 
say you, "having a yoke on, does not make him a rogue." 
True, I answer, yet if he was not a rogue, he would not 
have it on. In like manner, superfluous ornaments, some 
say, do not make them proud. Be it so ; but if they were 
not proud, they would not have them on. It will not be 
contended, that they make lis cooler in the summer, or 
warmer in the winter; that they make us wiser, better, 
more wealthy, healthy, or useful. But are we to allow 
of no improvements, no changes of fashion in dress ? Cer- 
tainly, we are. Any change for economy, comfort, con- 
venience, or plainness, is admissible. But is it not a fact, 



202 THE WAY TO HEAVEN. [sER. XIX. 



that many of the most expensive fashions do not, and 
indeed cannot, answer any purpose but to gratify our 
vanity? Suffer us to call some of them by name, as speci- 
mens of the whole : A gold ring on the finger, or hung to 
the ear; a gold breast-pin or guard-chain; a gold headed 
staff; an artificial flower on the bonnet; a string of gold 
beads hung round the neck; a large bunch of some dead 
person's hair hung on the side of the face; a feathered 
head-dress, so frightful as to remind us of the monster in 
the revelation with seven heads and ten horns. Were 
these follies confined wholly to people of the world, "dead 
in trespasses and in sins," we would feel less zealous in 
our opposition to them. But how unsuitable, trifling, and 
sinful it is, for persons to indulge in them, who, as disciples 
of Christ, should be dead to the world, always bearing 
about in their bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus ; not con- 
formed to the world, but glorying in the cross of Christ : 
and more especially our Methodist brethren and sisters, 
who have been better instructed on the subject. They 
offend with their eyes open, knowing that God forbids 
the wearing of gold and costly array, as plainly as he 
forbids any sin. 

4. He that would follow Christ and get to heaven, must 
deny himself of all evil. Every sin, though as convenient 
as a "right hand," or near our hearts as a "right eye," 
must be "cut off," or "broken off by righteousness;" for 
"he that sinneth is of the devil," and has no inheritance in 
the kingdom of God; for "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord 
God of Sabaoth." 

II. The duties we are to perform. 

1. We must take up our cross ; which, literally, means 
only a frame of wood, made in the form of an X, or of a T, 
on which malefactors and wicked slaves were executed in 
the Roman empire : and to cast as much odium as possible 
on him, this kind of torture was chosen for our blessed 



nd 

Mir 






SER. XIX.] THE WAY TO HEAVEN. 203 

Redeemer. But, figuratively, in the sense in which we are 
to bear it, the cross is that which comes across our evil pro- 
pensities, and mortifies our corrupt nature. This cross is 
to be borne daily ; for Christ saith, " If any man will come 
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, 
and follow me." But wherein do some, yea many, who 
are the professed disciples of Jesus, bear a daily cross? Is 
it by self-mortification? reproving their neighbors for sin? 
or a conscientious performance of all religious duties, how- 
ever painful ? Let them answer to God for themselves. 
The faithful soul does this gladly. Thus, Paul said, " God 
forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and 
I unto the world." 

2. We are to follow Christ; or imitate him in our lives 
and conversation. Some say, we must do in all things as 
he did; but this would require a forty days' entire absti- 
nence from food, a crucifixion literally, and many things 
unreasonable. Perhaps, all that is meant by following 
Christ, might be properly reduced to two general rules — 
obedience to God's commandments, respecting all outward 
duties; and seeking "the mind that was in Christ," who 
was holy, and harmless, and undefiled, and separate from 
sinners. Thus we should cultivate all the graces of the 
Spirit, and be "renewed in the spirit of our minds," after 
the image of him that created us. 

3. We must follow him to the end : follow him, whether 
in wealth or poverty, prosperity or adversity, revivals or 
declensions : follow him, let the way be rough or smooth, 
the journey long or short. Directed by the pillar of cloud 
and pillar of fire, we must press on, until we pass through 
the howling wilderness, and cross the Jordan of death; 
and then we will follow him into heaven, and be numbered 
with those, of whom it is said, "These are they that 
follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." 



204 THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SINNERS. [sER. XX. 

In conclusion, we remark, from the view taken of this 
subject, which points us the way to heaven, it appears, that 
there is no time to lose, none for trifling, if we would 
receive the inheritance prepared for the saints in light. 
Some, when Christ calls them to go this way, refuse, 
saying, "I pray thee have me excused." When they call 
upon him to help them, he may say, "Because I have 
called and ye refused ; I have stretched out my hand, and 
no man regarded ; but ye have set at naught all my counsel, 
and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your 
calamity : I will mock when your fear cometh ; when your 
fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as 
a whirlwind ; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they 
shall seek me early, but they shall not find me ; for that 
they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the 
Lord : they would none of my counsel : they despised all 
my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their 
own way, and be filled with their own devices." Come, 
then, ye souls favored by Heaven with the sound of the 
Gospel, and let us seek him now, and "follow on to 
know the Lord," until we arrive at the spiritual Canaan. 
If any will come after our Master, let them now deny 
themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. Amen. 



SERMON XX. 

THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SINNERS. 
"But one sinner destroyeth much good," Ecclesiastes ix, 18. 
This book, called Ecclesiastes, is supposed to have been 
written by Solomon, and to contain the humble confession 
of all his follies. If so, the words before us, are the result 
of much experience and observation, as well as inspiration. 
The context illustrates the excellency of wisdom, in con- 



SER. XX.] THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SINNERS. 205 

trast with the ruinous effects of sin. The author says, 
"This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it 
seemed great unto me : there was a little city, and few men 
within it; and there came a great king against it, and 
besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it : now there 
was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom 
delivered the city ; yet no man remembered that same poor 
man." This is probably a parable designed to recommend 
wisdom, which, though it may not have been so intended, 
naturally reminds us of the city or Church of God, with 
comparatively few inhabitants, besieged by Satan, sur- 
rounded with the fortifications of sin and error, and yet 
delivered by Christ, who wandered a poor stranger on 
earth, but possessed sufficient wisdom and power to defeat 
all the powers of darkness, and for which man is too 
ungrateful; from all which, the author makes this infer- 
ence, "Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one 
sinner destroyeth much good." In the words of our 
choice, we have, 

I. A character referred to — this we shall delineate. 

II. A fact stated — this we shall illustrate and confirm. 

I. The character referred to, is a sinner. "Sin," says 
an author, "is the want of moral perfection." This 
language appears to be too weak for the Scriptural view 
of the subject. Paul says, "Sin is the trangression of the 
law;" which implies, a rule of life, the knowledge of it, 
power to keep it, and a willful violation of it. To say all 
in a few words, sin is rebellion against God; a sinner is a 
transgressor of his law, or a rebel against him, according to 
the law he is under, whether of conscience or revelation. 

In view of this definition, where shall we go to find, or 
rather not to find sinners ? They abound in all ages, and 
in all parts of the inhabited world ; amongst all divisions of 
our race, whether Pagans, Jews, Mohammedans, or Chris- 
tians ; of all colors, white, black, tawnv, olive brown, or 

18 



206 THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SINNERS. [sER. XX. 

copper red ; in all states of mental improvement, as savage, 
civilized, simple or learned; in all relations, whether rulers, 
subjects, masters, or servants ; in all places, such as cities, 
towns, villages, forests, mansions, offices of state, shops, 
farms, temples, churches, cottages, prisons; all around us, 
in solid columns now before us. 

II. A fact stated — namely, "One sinner destroyeth 
much good." This fact, we shall illustrate and confirm by 
a number of examples ; and, 

1. The devil: the oldest and worst of sinners, rapid in 
flight, strong in forces, old in experience, well-skilled in 
battle, and deep-rooted in malice against God and his 
people ; who can enumerate the good he destroys, and the 
mischief he effects ? 

2. Adam, whose act, as natural and federal head of our 
race, affected his whole posterity as well as himself; 
turning the blooming garden of God into a howling waste ; 
striking at the very vitals of happiness ; introducing sin, 
sorrow, toil, pain, disease, death, and all the train of evils 
to which we are subject; for Paul says, "By one man's 
disobedience many were made sinners" — that is, Adam's 
sin involved his whole posterity. 

3. A contentious ruler is a sinner that destroys much 
good; even peace and its attendant blessings. He begins a 
quarrel with some neighboring sovereign ; a personal dif- 
ference rises into a national conflict; myriads of men are 
called to the field of battle ; and though they never saw each 
other, never had any personal difference, but are members 
of. the same great family, and perhaps believe in the same 
religion, yet they are by these rulers worked up into a 
state of feeling so desperate, that they encounter each 
other like tigers or demons incarnate, until the ground is 
drenched with blood, and covered with the slain ! What 
are the consequences ? Commerce is arrested, the public 
coffers are emptied of their treasure, the colleges closed, the 






SER. XX.] THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SINNERS. 207 

flower of the citizens cut down, the gray-headed left to till 
the earth, ten thousand widows forced to seek bread for 
themselves, forty thousand orphans to pass through an un- 
godly world without a father or friend to lead them ; and pesti- 
lence, plague, and camp fever, bring up the rear. And all 
these evils, for what? To gratify the diabolical passions 
of a contentious, blood-thirsty ruler, who is, to the world, a 
curse instead of a blessing. If it be objected, by scoffers 
and infidels, that Christianity has produced more war and 
blood-shed than any other cause, we deny the fact. It has 
produced none; for it is love to God and man, and its 
effects are "peace on earth and good will to men." How 
could it produce war and death? James says, "From 
whence come wars and fightings among you? come they 
not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?" 
Yes ; not from religion, but the want of it ; for such as 
quarrel and fight have it not, but are the children of dark- 
ness. For the cause of war, you may look, not to Chris- 
tianity, but to the depravity of man, the pride of nations, 
and the snares of the devil. 

4. A sceptical author is a sinner that destroys much 
good. Verbal sayings are soon forgotten, but printed 
sophistry fills with poison the veins of future generations. 
With poison? Yes, what better than moral poison, are 
the sophisms of infidels; such as Volney, Hume, and 
Paine ? Or the dogmas of Arianism and Socinianism ; such 
as are commonly found in the productions of Unitarians, 
Universalists, Hixites, and Shakers? Or in the idolatrous 
ceremonies of Popery; as bowing to images, praying to 
saints, and the worship of the host in the mass ? And, we 
ask, what better, than moral poison, are a few distinctive 
features in the system of Calvinism; such as, " God, from 
all eternity, did freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever 
comes to pass ?" Of a piece with this, are " the immutable 
decrees" of unconditional election and reprobation. What 



208 THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SINNERS. [sER. XX. 

mischief have these various doctrines done to the souls 
of men! by the printing or circulating of which, a man 
destroyeth much good, that might otherwise be effected. 

5. A heretical preacher, especially if he be a man of 
ability, is a sinner that destroys much good. No member 
of a community is more dangerous than one whose tongue 
glows with misguided eloquence. The novelty of his sect, 
the gloss of his learning, the brilliancy of his fancy, and 
the bold strokes of his oratory, carry off the people, and 
before they are aware of the consequences, they have 
swallowed the sweet poison. What is it? Perhaps old 
fatalism, with a new dress to hide its deformities ; or deism, 
a little refined, and christened by some religious name, to 
take away its reproach. Our hearers will be competent to 
make the application ; and we pass on. 

6. A deistical gentleman, who, though neither a ruler, 
author, nor orator, has wealth, knowledge, and influence, 
is a sinner that destroyeth much good. His more simple 
neighbors look up to him as an example, and reason thus : 
If religion be necessary to our well-being, why does not 
my more intelligent friend believe in and profess it ? he is 
a man of information, and understands these subjects. 
Hence, like the ancient lawyers who took away the key 
of knowledge, would not enter into the kingdom them- 
selves, and hindered such as would, he stands just between 
his neighbors and heaven. Now, when this man gets to 
hell with these poor deluded souls all around him, employ- 
ed as his tormentors for ever, what an awful spectacle he 
will present. O that God would arrest him in his folly, 
and snatch him as a brand plucked out of the fire, before 
he is beyond the reach of mercy. 

7. A distiller or dealer in ardent spirits is a sinner that 
destroys much good. Dissipation is a sin that has sup- 
pressed the expanding intellect of many promising young 
men ; blasted the fondest hopes of many parents ; broken 






SER. XX.] THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SINNERS. 209 

the peace of many families; wasted many fine estates; 
destroyed many sound constitutions; turned many once 
rational beings into stupid, lothsome animals; brought 
many amiable wives and hopeful children to beggary and 
shame; dug many untimely graves; and plunged many 
sinners into the depths of hell. But to charge all the 
criminality on drunkards, is unjust. If no one distilled 
ardent spirits, then no one could deal in them ; and if no 
one dealt in them, wholesale or retail, no one could use 
them. Is it any wonder that Paul should say, "No 
drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God?" Or shall 
we longer doubt, that every distiller, vender, and free 
drinker of ardent spirits, is a sinner that destroys much 
good? We advise all not to touch, taste, or handle the 
unclean thing. "At the last it biteth like a serpent, and 
stingeth like an adder." 

8. A dancing-master is a sinner that destroys much good. 
And why should people of influence patronize him? Can- 
not our children learn folly enough without paying a man 
to teach them? But ye wish them to learn politeness. 
Politeness from whom ? Is that teacher of folly such a 
character as ye would have your sons and daughters to 
associate with for moral and mental improvement? Can 
he impart dignity of character to the youth of our country ? 
However this may be, he has collected together the idle 
children and giddy youth of the neighborhood, and already 
taught them to cut as many silly capers as so many 
monkies. But all this is only the training, preparatory to 
a more brilliant display. What notice is this we see in the 
public prints, headed, " The cotillion party ?" " Do not be 
alarmed," says one, "we are only going to have a decent 
ball." But, observe, the time lost in practicing before hand ; 
the money expended in needless ornaments to be exhibited 
on the occasion ; and some of it, perhaps, by men unable 
to pay just debts. The time arrives, and the select party 
18* 



210 THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SINNERS. [sER. XX. 

of fashionables collect. Here, if consistent with our duty, 
we would like to pause. But these are they who complain 
so much of our noisy and disorderly meetings, where we 
sing, pray, and rejoice occasionally; and we will proceed, 
and compare their moderation with our extravagance. 
Only behold the group ! Such is the display of artificials 
and powdered heads, as to present somewhat the appear- 
ance of a forest of moving shrubs, covered with leaves and 
flowers. Their movements, however, soon dispel the 
delusion. The exhilarating sound of bow and fiddle seems 
to act as a sort of charm, which sets all in motion ; they 
hop and skip, caper and whirl round, more like orang 
outangs than rational beings; and so bewitching is the 
influence of this fashionable vice, as to remove all thought 
of sleep and home, and health, and propriety, and cause 
them to spend whole nights, exercising themselves severely 
amidst clouds of dust, and the fumes of' candles and heated 
bodies in the confined air of a close room. Comment on 
the moral tendency of the practice is needless. The thing 
speaks for itself. But as no one is supposed to act without 
motives, let us inquire, what is the reward of all this labor? 
It is made up of disappointed ambition, shoes without soles, 
sleepy eyes, weary frames, sore bones, empty purses, and 
guilty consciences. Well might Solomon say, "The heart 
of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart 
of fools is in the house of mirth." Such entertainments 
are well calculated to destroy all inclination for solid 
improvement of the mind, useful industry at home, the 
modest and blushing retirement of young people; and, 
above all, to dissipate every serious thought of a religious 
nature, and give them a rapid start in all the ways of ex- 
travagance and folly. Who can dance, and at the same 
time obey the precept, "Be ye sober, and watch unto 
prayer?" Who ever reflected with pleasure on a dying 
bed, upon the hours spent at a ball-room ? Who, of all the 



SER. XX.] THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SINNERS. 211 

votaries of such pleasure, would be willing to exchange the 
habiliments used on such occasions for a shroud? Who 
would like to be transferred from the dancing hall to the 
grave; and thence to the judgment seat of Christ? Why 
then dare to live as you would not wish to die ? 

9. A disorderly professor of religion is a sinner that 
destroys much good. When men are openly wicked, we 
know how to estimate them, and their influence is confined, 
measurably, within the circles of those who approve of 
their conduct ; but he that would deceive the simple-heart- 
ed, acts under a cloak of pretended piety, and being a wolf, 
covered with a borrowed sheep-skin, he obtains a place 
among the flock, where he destroys much good, before his 
real character is discovered. And one of the most effectual 
means by which he can effect this, is "tale-bearing." Not 
unfrequently, one tale-bearer has succeeded in producing 
personal differences between principal members of flour- 
ishing societies, which have terminated in their entire 
destruction. No wonder, therefore, that James said, 
"Behold, how great matter a little fire kindleth ! the 
tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity : * * * and setteth 
on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." 
People engaged in whispering, backbiting, and tale-bearing, 
may have crept into the Church, and so managed as not to 
have been yet expelled ; but the devil has a bill of sale 
of them, "they have sold themselves for naught" unto 
him, and he now employs them to do his meanest 
drudgery ; and in this way one sinner destroys much good, 
by disturbing the peace of societies and families, and 
throwing stumbling blocks in the way of individuals. 

10. Every finally impenitent sinner destroys much good, 
even one soul. And who can estimate the value of a soul 
immortal? — a soul that never can cease to exist, neither 
become unconscious: a soul whose redemption cost the 
tears, and sweat, and blood, and life of the Son of God: 



212 THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SINNERS. £sER. XX. 

a soul that must dwell in endless bliss, or endless woe: 
a soul that, in a few more years at most, will mingle 
with flaming seraphs around the throne of God, or howl 
with fallen spirits that rattle their chains in devouring fire 
for ever and ever. 

We conclude our remarks on this subject with a few 
plain inferences ; and, 

1. If such are the actions of men, what shall we think 
of their hearts ? If such are the streams of iniquity that 
men's lives exhibit, what must be the fountains from which 
they flow? Let Inspiration answer: "Their inward part 
is very wickedness." "The heart is deceitful above all 
things, and desperately wicked : who can know it?" And 
"out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh." 
And shall any one ever dream of getting to heaven in this 
state? Vain is the thought. "Except a man be born 
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 

2. All the pious, and especially all ministers, parents, 
and teachers, should exert themselves to alarm sinners 
of their danger, that they may "flee the wrath to come," 
while it is yet to come. This is the reason why we deal 
so plainly with the people, believing it better to be charged 
with being too plain here, than to be charged at the judg- 
ment seat of Christ with not being plain enough. May 
our God help us to trouble the consciences of sinners with 
plain truth, until they turn to him and live ! 

3. We should be stimulated with the hope of success ; 
for as one sinner destroyeth much good, so may one Chris- 
tian be the means of destroying much evil. "No man 
liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." Our 
examples necessarily influence others, either to good or 
evil. Let us, therefore, dear brethren, so live as to preach 
Christ daily by our conduct and conversation, then shall 
we have that holiness which' will make us both useful and 
happy ; and when the Lord of the vineyard shall call home 



SER. XXI.] THE FAITHFUL PREACHER. 213 

the laborers to receive their hire, may we return to him 
rejoicing, and bringing our sheaves with us. The Lord 
add his blessing, and to him be all the glory. Amen. 



SERMON XXI. 

THE FAITHFUL PREACHER. 

"And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the 
people," Luke iii, 18. 

The best institution ever discovered for improving the 
hearts and lives of men, is preaching; especially when 
"the ministry of the word" is in the hands of men, whose 
motto is truth and holiness. John the Baptist is an exam- 
ple of faithfulness as a preacher. We shall say a few 
things respecting him, as such, and speak, 

I. Of his character. 

II. His preaching. 

III. Draw a few inferences. 

1. The account of John the Baptist, by the ancient 
prophets, is full and interesting. Isaiah spoke of "the 
voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the 
way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a high way 
for our God." The same prophecy was delivered by 
Malachi afterwards. Here is an allusion to an ancient 
military custom, of sending forward pioneers to clear the 
road for the army ; so John is spoken of as one employed 
to go before the Messiah, and prepare the minds of the 
people to receive him and his Gospel. That the prophecy 
refers to John, is certain, because he quotes it, and makes 
the application thereof to himself, saying, "I am the voice 
of one crying in the wilderness," &c. 

The circumstances of his birth indicated his future great- 
ness. There was a priest, whose name was Zacharias, 
and his wife's name was Elizabeth, "and they were both 
righteous before God, walking in all the commandments 



214 THE FAITHFUL PREACHER. [sER. XXI. 

and ordinances of the Lord blameless;" but they were old 
and childless. And while Zacharias was in the temple 
burning incense, he saw Gabriel standing near the altar, 
who informed him his prayer was heard, his wife should 
bear him a son, and his name should be John. Zacharias 
asked for a sign of the fulfillment of this promise, which 
implied unbelief; and Gabriel, therefore, gave him a strong 
one: "Thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until 
the day that these things shall be performed, because thou 
believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their 
season." And so he was. On the eighth day they came 
to circumcise the child, when a dispute arose about his 
name between his mother and the priests, which was refer- 
red to his father, who, being furnished with a table, wrote, 
" His name is John;" and then his mouth was opened and 
his tongue loosed immediately. As for the balance of his 
name, it is taken entirely from his office. John the Bap- 
tist means John the baptizer ; and he was so called because 
of the vast numbers whom he baptized. Any one who 
administers that ordinance is a Baptist, according to the 
primary meaning of the term Baptist ; but with the same 
propriety that we can call a woman a Baptist, we might call 
her a pope. Strange things have come to pass in these 
latter days. His early life was spent in sobriety and retire- 
ment ; for the angel said, " He shall drink neither wine nor 
strong drink." Would it not be well, if those who profess 
to have derived their name and distinguishing Church ordi- 
nance from him, would more generally imitate him in point 
of temperance? And the apostle says, he "was in the 
deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel;" that is, 
retired from all the dissipating examples of the world, he 
lived a life of solitude, in the wilderness, until he entered 
on the public duties of his office as a messenger of heaven. 
Would not this be thought a. strange theological college, in 
which to educate "competent ministers" in these days? 



SER. XXI.] THE FAITHFUL PREACHER. 215 

"His meat was locusts and wild honey." By consult- 
ing the law of Moses, Leviticus xi, 22, you may see that 
these locusts are among the animals which were clean to 
the Jews ; and, consequently, that John, as a Jewish priest, 
acted perfectly in character, when he ate them. These, 
and wild honey, which he gathered in the woods, made up 
his variety. The real wants of human nature are compara- 
tively few, but imaginary ones have no bounds. 

He " had his raiment of camels' hair" — a kind of canvass 
or very coarse cloth manufactured out of the hair of camels. 
Of this cloth, no doubt, was made his over garment, 
which was fastened round him with "a leathern girdle," or 
belt. Suppose a preacher of the Gospel should visit our 
towns and cities now in this kind of habiliment, what 
would be the common opinion entertained of his ability and 
standing ? Yet such was the gown worn by a priest, whom 
God sent to the most populous cities of Judea, to convert 
the scribes, elders of the people, and doctors of the law, as 
well as the common ranks of society. Let the fashionable 
minister think of this ; and while it sheds reproach upon 
his appearance, may it strike conviction to his heart. 

The testimony which Christ bore of him, is truly honor- 
able. To the multitudes, many of whom perhaps had 
attended John's ministry, he said, " What went ye out into 
the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?" 
Or a mere matter of vain curiosity? "But what went ye 
out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?" If so, 
ye were disappointed; for, "Behold, they that wear soft 
clothing are in kings' houses;" but John is from the 
desert. "But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? 
yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet :" an extra- 
ordinary messenger, even the forerunner of the Son of God. 
"Verily, I say unto you, Among them that are born of 
women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Bap- 
tist: notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of 



216 THE FAITHFUL PREACHER. [sER. XXI. 

heaven, is greater than he." From this we learn two 
things: that as John was the last, so he was among the 
greatest of all under the prophetic dispensation; and yet 
that the smallest child of grace in the Gospel dispensation 
is greater than he, has light that John never saw, and com- 
forts he never felt, arising from the witness of the Spirit. 

II. His preaching. 

His doctrine was "the baptism of repentance for the 
remission of sins;" or a baptism Avhich showed to them 
who received it the necessity of repentance, and brought 
them under promise to repent, that their sins might be par- 
doned. This was the theme of his message. His manner 
was to give to each one his portion plainly. To the multi- 
tude, who came to be baptized of him, he said, " genera- 
tion of vipers, who hath warned you to flee the wrath to 
come?" Ye serpentine race, of a serpentine brood, by 
whose warning have ye been convinced of your guilt and 
danger? "Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repen- 
tance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have 
Abraham to our father," as though that would save you; 
"for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to 
raise up children unto Abraham;" or of these sinners, 
whose hearts are as cold and hard as rocks, to raise up the 
spiritual seed of Abraham. The covetous came and said 
unto him, " What shall we do ?" Hear his answer. " He 
that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none ; 
and he that hath meat, let him do likewise." " Then came 
also publicans," Roman officers, who gathered public dues, 
and on account of their fraudulent practices, were hateful to 
a proverb, "to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, 
what shall we do ? And he said unto them, Exact no more 
than that which is appointed you," cease to defraud, and 
become honest men. "The soldiers likewise demanded 
of him, saying, And what shall we do?" And knowing 
that violence, revenge, and discontent were their besetting 



SER. XXI.] THE FAITHFUL PREACHER. 217 

sins, he said, "Do violence to no man, neither accuse any 
falsely; and be content with your wages." The most 
remarkable instance of his faithfulness was the reproof he 
gave king Herod. The singularity of John's appear- 
ance, the novelty of his doctrines, and the authority with 
which he delivered them, produced general excitement. 
His conquests were pushed near the palace itself. The 
royal family must needs come out and hear him, and recog- 
nizing his majesty, he said to him, respecting an unlawful 
connection he sustained with Philip's wife, " It is not law- 
ful for thee to have her." This plain, pointed reproof 
must have troubled the king's conscience. 

What were the effects of such preaching? We may 
naturally suppose, that with some of his hearers the 
preacher lost his good name; for who, that opposes the 
works of Satan, does not, with at least a part of the people ? 
He also lost his liberty. Herod, being offended, cast him 
into prison. To this kind of persecution we are not now 
subject in this land of freedom. But it has not been very 
long since the ministers of our Church, both in Europe and 
America, were honored with showers of stones, eggs, and 
brickbats while in the pulpit ; and, thence, with a berth in the 
common prison for preaching the truth. Now, though the 
hearts of opposers are no better, their works are restrained ; 
and all they can do is to stand at a distance, and speak 
great swelling words of opposition, not knowing what they 
say, nor whereof they affirm ; and these do not even reach 
our feelings, but fall harmless at our feet. Finally, John 
lost his life. The circumstances were briefly these : A ball 
had been appointed for the entertainment of Herod and his 
friends, at which the daughter of Herodias danced elegantly, 
and pleased him well, to whom he rashly promised any thing 
she would ask, to the half of his kingdom. What an 
impious and trifling ruler he must have been, to be thus 
delighted with the flirtations of a frisky girl. And the maid 

19 



218 THE FAITHFUL PREACHER. [SER. XXI. 

being privately instructed of her prostituted mother, who 
had taken offense at the plain, honest preacher, said, " Give 
me here the head of John the Baptist in a charger," or 
waiter. It was done; he gave it to the damsel, and she 
gave it to her mother. What a present to exhibit in a ball- 
room—" the bloody head of the murdered ambassador of the 
Son of God!" But such were the results of "a decent 
ball" eighteen hundred years ago; and what good ever 
came of a ball before or since ? It is evil, and only evil. 

But these were not the only effects of John's preaching. 
If infamy, imprisonment, and martyrdom had been the only 
effects, his example would be less encouraging; but he per- 
suaded multiplied thousands to embrace his holy doctrines, 
and practice them ; and these, though not saved just as we 
are under the Gospel, were saved according to the light 
of John's day, which was superior to the Jews' religion, 
and inferior to Christianity. And so of all faithful preach- 
ers, though some get offended and persecute, while we 
deal faithfully with the people, yet others will be saved, 
and brought to the knowledge of the truth. 

III. A few inferences from the whole subject. 

No particular mode of preaching is essential. John 
preached in his exhortation, or publicly declared the will 
of God to the people, while he earnestly persuaded them to 
turn from sin, by repentance, to God. We know it is 
customary now to introduce much formality into the pulpit, 
usually some selected sentence, part of a sentence, or a 
paragraph is first read for a text, and then divided and sub- 
divided with a great deal of form and system ; and in filling 
this plan, to use many technical terms, logical distinctions, 
rhetorical flourishes, and so on ; and men are so much the 
creatures of habit, that after first adopting the plan of 
preaching from a text, it comes more naturally to them with 
one, than otherwise ; and they keep up the practice gener- 
ally, though not always, merely because they speak with 



SER. XXI.] THE FAITHFUL PREACHER. 219 

more liberty on this plan—- not that it is by any means 
essential to preaching, or even to good preaching, to take a 
text. "Ezra, the scribe," who was the first preacher we 
read of, "stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they made 
for the purpose;" but his preaching consisted in reading 
the book of the law of God distinctly, giving the sense 
thereof, and causing the people to understand the reading ; 
which must have been a kind of plain, simple lecture. 
Christ and his apostles preached, but, as far as we have 
any proof, not after our manner, of taking a text and 
dividing it : wherefore we suppose it to be a matter of indif- 
ference. If a man can preach better by taking a text, let 
him do it ; if not, let him dispense with the custom. 

Our next inference is, that when God has a work to be 
done, he is not at a loss for instruments to carry it on ; for 
the hearts of all men are in his hands. With ease he raises 
a Moses to deliver Israel, Solomon to rule them, and the 
prophets to teach them ; John to fill the intermediate space 
between the prophets and Christ; the apostles to plant the 
Gospel Church ; and the Reformers to revive it after a long 
and general declension; and the Methodists to "spread 
Scripture holiness over these lands" during the past and 
present centuries. 

Finally, we infer, that the work will have opposition, 
but not defeat. The conflict between light and darkness, 
holiness and sin, truth and falsehood, will be severe. The 
faithful preacher, who carries on the warfare, need expect 
no favors from the world, or the votaries of any of the 
various systems of false doctrines ; but taking the sword 
of the Spirit, and trusting in the strong arm of Christ, he 
will cut his passage through all the ranks of the enemy. 
The Head of the Church will still say to him, "Lo, I am 
with you;" and when the war is over, he will return laden 
with spoil taken from the enemy of souls: then he will 
"return rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Such 



220 THE HOLY SABBATH. [sER. XXII. 

a reward is well worth a life of toil and danger. Then let 
us gird ourselves with truth, be sober, and hope to the end. 
May the Lord give us seals to our ministry, souls for our 
hire, and save us and all the people, now and ever. Amen. 

SERMON XXII. 

THE HOLY SABBATH. 

" And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the 
Sabbath," Luke vi, 5. 

" Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work," is one 
of the plainest commands in the Bible, and one of general 
application, not being restricted to any particular class 
of people. It does not say, or mean, that the poor man or 
the servant shall labor, and the rich man rest, but embraces 
the whole. Whoever does not labor or follow some useful 
employment, which contributes to the good of the whole, 
is a burden to society ; and unless he be excused by age, 
infirmity, or affliction, violates the command under con- 
sideration, and is of course a sinner against God and man; 
and his having an income by inheritance or otherwise to 
support him without labor, will be no excuse at the day 
of judgment for neglecting his duty, because if he does not 
need the proceeds of his labor, others do, and God requires 
it of him. 

It is, however, due to the subject, and to ourselves, to 
say, it is not necessary in order to obey this command, that 
all should pursue one employment. The well-being of 
society requires a great variety of occupations. One labors 
in the domestic circle of household business, and another 
in the field ; the mechanic toils in the shop, and the mer- 
chant in his counting-room ; the physician in the chamber 
of affliction, and the statesman in the council of the nation; 
the scholar in his study, and the minister in his pulpit, &c. 
No matter what our calling may be, if it is only lawful and 



SER. XXII.] THE HOLY SABBATH. 221 

useful, we obey the command to labor as much as if we 
plied with the axe or mall. 

This commandment, like all others, which God imposes 
on man, is founded in wisdom and goodness ; obedience to 
it, will not only secure food and raiment, but promote 
virtue and good health. While the indolent votaries of 
pleasure and dissipation are liable to temptation and disease, 
the industrious form good habits, by affording the mind 
useful employment, and enjoy good health from bodily 
exercise. Moreover, while idleness and gluttony produce 
restlessness of body and mind, the laboring man enjoys 
refreshing sleep and sweet contentment. But we have not 
time to pursue this subject any further on this occasion. 

After we have labored six days, then comes the weekly 
rest. " It -is the Sabbath of the Lord, in it thou shalt not 
do any work." To labor and to rest, each in its season, 
are duties imposed by the same supreme authority. How 
prone are men to extremes. Some are so fond of rest, they 
must needs solace themselves with it seven days in a week ; 
while others, not content with the gain of six days' labor, 
will continue their temporal business on the Sabbath. But 
they who refuse to work six days in the week, and they 
who work on the Sabbath, are alike transgressors of God's 
law, and liable to its fearful penalties. Henceforth, on this 
occasion, our remarks will have reference only to the Sab- 
bath; and we propose to notice, 

I. The obligation to keep the Sabbath. 

II. The manner of keeping the Sabbath. 

I. For an account of the origin and nature of the insti- 
tution of the Sabbath, we refer to the history of the creation 
in the book of Genesis, where Moses speaks on this wise : 
V And on the seventh day God ended his work which he 
had made ; and he rested on the seventh day from all his 
work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh 
day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from 
19* 



222 THE HOLY SABBATH. [SER. XXII. 

all his work which God created and made." Here the 
Sabbath, or day of rest, is introduced to the Bible reader as 
the first and oldest religious institution which God ever 
gave to man, and is enforced by the example of the 
Almighty himself. 

That this institution was observed by the Israelites before 
the two tables of the law were given, appears from several 
places in the Bible, especially the 16th chapter of Exodus, 
where we have a most interesting account of God's supply- 
ing them with manna, and the injunction to desist from 
gathering it on the Sabbath. Every morning they found it 
fresh in abundance, except on the. Sabbath ; and to provide 
for that, they were allowed to gather a double portion the 
previous day. Part of this account is as follows: "Six 
days ye shall gather it ; but on the seventh day, which is 
the Sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to 
pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh 
day for to gather , and they found none. And the Lord 
said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my com- 
mandments and my laws? See, for that the Lord hath 
given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth 
day the bread of two days : abide ye every man in his 
place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. 
So the people rested on the seventh day." In this place, 
there is not only a record of the fact that there was a Sab- 
bath, but a plain command to observe it strictly, enforced 
under proper penalties. The circumstance which the Lord 
ordained, in order to enforce the moral principle of the 
institution of the Sabbath, was remarkable ; one which 
could scarcely fail to be effectual after it was fully under- 
stood. The double portion of manna gathered the day 
before the Sabbath remained sweet and sound two days ; 
but if on any other day they gathered more than one day's 
provision, it bred worms, and became offensive before the 
next day. Again, the Israelites were required to have 






SER. XXII.] THE HOLY SABBATH. 223 

respect to the Sabbath, not only in procuring, but also in 
preparing their provisions, so as to keep it holy; hence, 
this injunction, "To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sab- 
bath unto the Lord : bake that which ye will bake to-day, 
and seethe that ye will seethe ; and that which remaineth 
over, lay up for you to be kept until the morning." To 
those who are in the habit of cooking and feasting them- 
selves with warm dinners on the Lord's day, we would 
say, " Go ye and do likewise." 

In giving the law at Sinai, the Lord renewed and enlarged 
the obligation to keep holy the Sabbath ; of which law we 
cannot now speak particularly. Suffice it to say, that from 
thence forward, it is frequently mentioned by the sacred 
writers, who speak of it as an important duty, involving 
weighty and powerful motives for its strict observance. 
Isaiah saith, "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, 
from doing thy pleasure on my holy day ; and call the 
Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable ; and 
shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding 
thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words ; then 
shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord ; and I will cause 
thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee 
with the heritage of Jacob thy father : for the mouth of the 
Lord hath spoken it." 

But is the observance of the Sabbath now obligatory ? 
Were we not well persuaded of this fact, we should think 
the subject of but little importance to us, and therefore 
would let it rest. Some of our reasons for concluding this 
obligation of Sabbath keeping to be still, in force are these : 
It is a part of the moral law, which is of perpetual obli- 
gation. Hence, Christ said, "I am not come to destroy 
the law, but to fulfill." What law did he not destroy? 
Certainly not the ceremonial law ; for this, Paul says, he 
" abolished in his flesh;" but the moral law he destroyed 
not On the contrary, he magnified and made it honorable, 



224 THE HOLY SABBATH. [sER. XXII. 

by a holy life and a sacrificial death. And though it is now 
incorporated into the system of the Gospel, so that "we 
are not without law to God, but under the law to Christ," 
the moral principle thereof remains entire ; of course the 
obligation to keep the Sabbath, contained in the fourth 
commandment, is in full force. But suppose, for the sake 
of argument, that the moral law had been done away by 
Christ, it would not follow that the institution of the Sab- 
bath, which existed long before the Ten Commandments 
were given, was destroyed. Again, the Sabbath was often 
mentioned by Christ and his apostles as existing in their 
day, and well understood by all. Even in connection with 
our subject, our Savior speaks of a first Sabbath, and a 
second Sabbath after the first, when his hungry disciples 
were accused of Sabbath-breaking for eating green corn in 
the field, as they passed through, he informed their accusers 
that he was Lord of the Sabbath. On the Sabbath he did 
many of his miracles, such as healing the palsied, and 
restoring sight to the blind ; and how could these things be, 
if there was no Sabbath in his day? "But he gives no 
express commandment to keep it," says one; nor was it 
necessary, respecting an institution of long standing, which 
was well understood among the people. " But," it is said, 
"the Sabbath was a type, and the type can exist only until 
the thing typified is brought to light." To this we have 
no objection; for the object typified by the weekly Sab- 
bath, is that rest which remains for the people of God in 
heaven ; and, of course, the Sabbath must remain in full 
force until the final consummation of all earthly things ; yea 
until it is lost in the Sabbath that never ends. " There 
remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he 
that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his 
own works, as God did from his." 

It is, however, changed -from the seventh to the first day 
of the week, in commemoration of the resurrection of 



SER. XXII,] THE HOLY SABBATH. 225 

Christ, who, according to the Jewish calculation, died on 
Saturday and rose on Monday, but according to the Chris- 
tian computation from thence forward, he died on Friday 
and rose on Sunday. This change does not affect the 
moral principle of the Sabbath, which consists not so much 
in keeping the seventh, first, or middle day of the week, as 
in employing a certain proportion of our time in the service 
of God. And certainly no one will dispute that Christ 
who is Lord of the Sabbath, had a right to make such a 
change. What are the proofs of this change? First, the 
disciples from this time forward set apart the first day of 
the week for their various religious meetings. Thus, on 
the first day of the week, they came together to break 
bread, or celebrate the Lord's supper. On the first day of 
the week, they made collections for the poor brethren ; and 
John, during his state of exile, was still mindful of his 
Master's institution, for he " was in the Spirit on the 
Lord's day;" and what was the Lord's day but the day 
of his resurrection, and the same day in which John had 
been accustomed to meet with his brethren for religious 
worship ? But the strongest proof that the first day of the 
week is now "the Sabbath of the Lord," is the example 
of inspired men. If the apostles had acted only upon their 
own authority, it would be discretionary with us to imitate 
them, or refuse to do so, as we choose ; but being inspired, 
and consequently as teachers of religion infallible, the cus- 
toms which they introduced into the Church, are clothed 
with the authority of divine commands, and therefore must 
not be trifled with by any. The authority for keeping the 
first day of the week as the Christian Sabbath, comes not 
from the tradition of the fathers, nor the decrees of human 
councils, but from inspired apostles ; and, of course, from 
God who inspired them. And, hence, Paul informed the 
Gentile converts at Colosse, that the Jewish converts had 
no right to judge them in respect "of Sabbath days" — that 



226 THE HOLY SABBATH. [sER. XXII. 

is, to condemn them for not keeping the Jewish Sabbaths. 
But how strange it is, that any one should ever think of 
quoting this text to disprove the validity of the Christian 
Sabbath ! As well might he refer to the 1st verse of Gene- 
sis to prove atheism. We will now notice, 

II. The manner of keeping the Sabbath. 

The commandment begins with, "Remember the Sab- 
bath day to keep it holy." The word remember is intend- 
ed to secure the necessary preparations before hand, that 
we may have no occasion to work when the day comes. 
" Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work : but the 
seventh (now first) day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy 
God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, 
nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, 
nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates." 
This commandment is exceedingly broad. Whoever 
works on the Sabbath himself, or suffers his children for 
him, or for themselves, to work; or allows his servants to 
labor, in doors or out; or his animals to be employed to 
carry on any temporal business ; or the stranger that 
sojourns with him for a season, to work on his premises, is 
a Sabbath-breaker. 

But are there no exceptions to this rule ? Yes ; works 
of necessity, such as cannot be done before, and cannot be 
put off until after, may be done on the Sabbath. We must 
eat on the Sabbath, but our food may, and should be pre- 
pared before hand ; we must kindle our fires, but the wood 
should be cut previously; we must dress, but our garments 
should be washed, ironed, and made ready for use before 
Sabbath; we must feed and water our animals, but not 
work them ; we may pull the sheep out of the mire, but 
may not mark the lambs; and though we "loose the ox 
and lead him to the watering," we may not hunt strays, 
or train young horses or cattle to lead, ride, or work on the 
Sabbath. Works of humanity are also excepted. Thus 



SER. XXII.] THE HOLY SABBATH. 227 

we may visit and nurse the sick, bury the dead, and impart 
spiritual instruction on the Sabbath day. Preaching the 
Gospel to save souls is a work of charity ; and, if need be, 
we may employ our animals in going to and from places 
of religious worship on the Lord's day; all of which is 
implied in the commandment which requires preachers to 
"go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every 
creature," and the one which requires the people to "for- 
sake not the assembling of themselves together." 

To keep holy the Sabbath day, is not only to abstain 
from all temporal business thereon, but to spend it in God's 
service, to employ the day, not a part thereof, in spiritual 
improvement, by reading the Bible and other religious 
books, secret prayer, holy meditation, attending places 
of religious worship, - and so on, that we may make "a 
Sabbath day's journey" in the way to heaven. This, and 
this only, is keeping the Sabbath. 

But if we have not mistaken the subject, how will many, 
alas, too many, answer for the abuse thereof? Some of 
whom employ their Sabbaths in idle or fashionable visits, 
either made or received; others in reading political papers, 
and talking on politics ; some in expeditions of gallantry, 
or other kinds of pleasure, such as jaunts from town to 
country, or country to town ; others in reveling and dissi- 
pation at public houses ; some in journeying upon temporal 
business ; others in posting up their books ; one party 
of children is seen at swings, mill-ponds, or playing in the 
fields or streets ; and another acting the part of vermin, by 
hunting nuts or fruits; in the domestic circle, we see 
servants cooking, and men shaving; in social circles, we 
see people employed on the Lord's day in routes and voy- 
ages, parties of popular amusement, and vain carousals; in 
circles of business, we see men employed to make money 
on the Sabbath, by opening shops and groceries, running 
steamboats and canal boats, hacks and stages, carrying on 



228 THE HOLY SABBATH. [sER. XXII. 

glass works, salt works, sugar works, and distilleries! 
The smoke from these furnaces on the Sabbath day, should 
remind them of the smoke of their torment, which will 
ascend for ever, unless they repent, and that speedily. 
These are but a few of the many ways which men have 
to break the Sabbath. 

Their excuses for these offenses are almost as various as 
the offenses themselves. One pleads poverty ; another 
haste; a third neglects his business on Saturday, and 
pleads necessity for doing it on Sunday; a fourth pleads 
public authority — that is, of man against the authority of 
God. Some, more strangely than all the others, plead 
right, saying, " Why, Sunday is our own day, and we may 
use it as we please !" Never was there a grosser mistake ; 
it is emphatically called the Lord's day, and not ours. 
Suppose you see a man in abject poverty, and having 
seven dollars, give him six of them, whereupon he tries to 
rob you of the other, would you take it kindly ? But after 
God has given to men six days, in which he allows them 
to attend to their own business, they would take the seventh 
also. Well may we tremble, when we recollect there is a 
day coining when Jehovah will assert and maintain his 
right. A few words of improvement, and we shall be done. 

The advantages of the Sabbath, temporally, are of great 
importance. Rest to the laboring man is sweet, whether 
it be labor of body or mind; and is it not equally so to 
the beasts ? Their bones are not made of iron, nor their 
flesh of brass. Both man and beast will last longer, and 
do better, by resting one day in a week, which can be well 
afforded; for experience proves that the balance of our 
time is sufficient to make an ample support. 

The importance of the Sabbath, spiritually and morally 
considered, is still greater. Perhaps nineteen-twentieths 
of all the religious operations of our world, are carried on 
upon the Sabbath. And we think we risk nothing, when 



SER. XXII.] THE HOLY SABBATH. 229 

we say, that the Sabbath is essential to the existence of 
Christianity. Take away the Sabbath, and, without the 
miraculous interposition of God, revealed religion would 
die a natural death. Do you ask for the proof? Look at 
all of our attempts to collect the people on other days at 
places of worship, and you have incontestable evidence 
at hand. Take away the Sabbath, and you destroy Chris- 
tianity ; and, of course, the foundation of all well regulated, 
civil governments is gone. If you would see the advan- 
tages of the Christian Sabbath, compare the state of society 
among heathens with the state of society here, and you 
will have them plain before you. The French, to do away 
the Sabbath, made a new division of time, allowing the 
tenth day to be employed, not as a rest, but a holyday; 
rightly judging that if they could break down the Sabbath, 
they would banish religion out of the land. All allegiance 
to God was renounced, and a common prostitute was set 
up in the temple of religion, and worshiped as the goddess 
of reason; but the people rebelled, and went back to their 
Sabbath, and their religion, such as it was. May God 
save all other nations from a repetition of such folly and 
blasphemy. 

Disregarding the Sabbath among professed Christians 
hinders the work of grace, because their examples 
strengthen the hands of others in a course of impiety, and 
defaces the image of Christ in their own souls. Indeed, 
we esteem no man religious, in any important sense of the 
word, who does not keep holy the Sabbath day ; because 
we know from experience, that it acts with the force of a 
moral principle on the heart, affording peace of mind to the 
obedient, and condemnation to the disobedient. 

Lastly, profaning the Sabbath brings down the judgments 

of God upon the wicked. Thus Nehemiah said, "Yet ye 

bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath." 

But if so in that age, how much more now, when " knowl- 

20 



230 THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH. JJ3ER. XXIII. 

edge is increased." One thing very worthy of remark is, 
that more awful judgments fall on the wicked upon the 
Sabbath, than any other day in the week. Possibly all 
have not observed this, but we have. And we challenge 
any man in the assembly to make the examination; and 
if there are not more truant boys drowned, parties of 
pleasure lost, drunkards frozen to death, and travelers crip- 
pled by horses and carriages, and other calamities sent on 
the wicked, on the Sabbath, than any other day, we 
promise to make our acknowledgments as public as we 
have made our assertion. What are these things for, but 
to show that God will have his day regarded ; that it shall 
not be trampled on with impunity. May this Sabbath be a 
day of rest to our souls and bodies; and we finally be 
brought to enjoy the Sabbath that never ends ! And to the 
Lord of the Sabbath shall be all the glory. Amen. 



SERMON XXIII. 

THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH. 

" The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, 
saith the Lord of hosts," Haggai ii, 9. 

Shortly after the Jews returned from Babylon, they 
desired to rebuild the temple, which had been destroyed ; 
and commenced, but being greatly weakened in their num- 
bers and wealth, they were obliged to make the plan of it 
far inferior to the former edifice; and when the old men 
compared it with the first they had seen, they wept, and all 
got discouraged, and suspended their labor. However, in 
a few years, the Lord sent his prophet to encourage them 
to resume their work, saying, "Who is left among you that 
saw this house in her first glory ?" There were perhaps a 
few old men living who had seen it, though it had been in 
ruins sixty-six years. "And how do you see it now? is 



SER. XXIII.] THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH. 231 

it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? Yet 
now be strong * * * all ye people of the land and work : 
for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts. * * * Fear 
ye not, * * * I will shake all nations," with political 
revolutions; "and the desire of all nations (Christ) shall 
come: and I will fill this house with glory," with the 
glorious presence of the Son of God, who, about five hun- 
dred years hence shall teach therein daily, and heal many ; 
and on this account, " the glory of this latter house shall be 
greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts." And 
so it was ; for John says, " The Word was made flesh, and 
dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as 
of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." 
Such was the primary meaning of this Scripture, which we 
use as a text on this occasion. 

The Church is figuratively called a house. Micah says, 
" In the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain 
of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top 
of the mountains; * * * and people shall flow unto it." 
And Paul says, " Christ as a Son over his own house, (is 
faithful,) whose house are we, if we hold fast the confi- 
dence, and the rejoicing of the hope, firm unto the end." 
These, and scores of other texts like them, will justify us 
in taking the figurative view of the house under considera- 
tion. We shall speak, 

I. Of the former house, or Jewish Church. 

II. The latter house, or Christian Church. 

III. Show wherein the latter house exceeds the former 
house in glory. 

I. It is now a long time since God called Abraham and 
his family to be the beginning of his chosen people, or 
visible Church. And what mighty changes of fortune they 
have been the subjects of; yet Jehovah has wonderfully 
watched over and preserved them. Driven by famine from 
Canaan, he found them a retreat in the fat of the land of 



232 THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH. [SER. XXIII. 

Goshen. Here they were afterwards oppressed out of 
measure ; but the God of Israel sent them deliverance, and 
orders to return to their own country, from which they had 
been absent four hundred years; during which time they 
increased from three-score and ten to more than six hun- 
dred thousand men, besides women and children. The 
Lord accompanied them on a journey of forty years through 
a waste, howling wilderness, providing for them by miracu- 
lous means. When they thirsted, he opened the rock and 
caused water to run like rivers in dry places ; when they 
hungered, he sent them manna from heaven, and quails to 
the full; he gave them a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar 
of fire by night ; dried up seas and rivers before them ; and 
finally brought them to the promised inheritance, which he 
divided amongst them, driving out their enemies before 
them, and gave them cities which they had not built, and 
vineyards which they had not planted. 

Here they built a house for God, called the temple of 
Solomon. King David first undertook it, saying to Nathan 
the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but 
the ark of God dwelleth in curtains. And Nathan said to 
the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart : for the Lord is 
with thee." Howbeit, David had been a man of blood, 
and God transferred the honor of this undertaking to his 
son Solomon, who completed it in eight years, and dedi- 
cated it in a most solemn manner in the year of the 
world 3001. Perhaps this temple was the most magnifi- 
cent edifice of which we have any account in the history 
of either ancient or modern times. The ground-plot on 
which it was built was a square, each side of which was 
six hundred cubits. It was laid orT into three general 
apartments ; the outer court, or court of the Gentiles, which 
is supposed to represent the state of the world under this 
dispensation; the court of Israel, typical of the Church 
militant; and the most holy place, typical of heaven. 



SER. XXIII.] THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH. 233 

These were encircled by splendid galleries, supported by- 
divers rows of pillars, and the whole ornamented with 
festoons, and decorated with silver and gold, ivory and 
marble of various colors. Here the Jews, for hundreds 
of years, offered their sacrifices, which were, however, 
only ceremonial, and intended to strengthen their faith in 
the grand atoning sacrifice of their promised Messiah. We 
will now notice, 

II. The latter house, or Christian Church. 

It is built upon the foundation of the prophets and apos- 
tles, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. 
Before it was. fairly commenced, John the Baptist came as 
a pioneer, proclaiming, "I am the voice of one crying in 
the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his 
paths straight." Presently, Christ was dedicated to the 
office of the High Priest of our profession, and began to 
preach his own everlasting Gospel, to the astonishment 
of congregated thousands. Next, he ordained twelve apos- 
tles ; that is, persons chosen and sent to preach and to heal 
all manner of diseases. These did wonders ; but the har- 
vest being great, and the laborers few, he employed seventy 
more and sent them out, all over Judea, two and two 
together, as we go on our circuits. They had a glorious 
time; for when they returned, they came with joy, saying, 
"Lord, even the devils are subject to us through thy name. 
And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall 
from heaven." Christ, having established his Messiahship 
by many infallible signs and wonders, began to explain to 
his disciples how he must suffer, and die, and rise again ; 
all of which took place, attended with an assemblage of 
most extraordinary circumstances. And though it was 
a season of sore conflict to the infant Church, yet thereby 
was laid the foundation of her future glory and final 
triumph. 

After his resurrection, Christ renewed the commission 
20* 



234 THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH. [sER. XXIII. 

of his ministers, and greatly enlarged the field of their 
labors, saying, " All power is given to me in heaven and in 
earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe all things whatso- 
ever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you 
always, even unto the end of the world." Blessed be his 
name, the experience of eighteen hundred years proves 
him faithful to his promise. But before they entered on 
their great work, they were instructed to tarry at Jerusalem 
certain days, until they should be indued with power 
from on high. And so they did, and were not disappoint- 
ed ; for at the day of Pentecost, while they were assembled, 
and all praying with one accord, suddenly the Holy Ghost 
came on them, attended with a sound like a mighty rushing 
wind, and filled all the house with glory, lighting down 
like flames of fire on their heads, and so warmed their 
hearts, and loosed their tongues, that they became linguists 
without lexicons, and began immediately to preach Jesus 
and the resurrection in divers languages. 

Nor did they spend their strength for naught. In one 
day the infant Church increased from a hundred and twenty 
to thirty-one hundred and twenty, and shortly afterward to 
five thousand. The holy flame of Gospel reformation 
spread far and wide, amongst Jews and Gentiles, but not 
without opposition; many, very many, set themselves 
against the work of God, but could not overthrow it. And 
when the civil arm was leveled against them so heavily as 
to disperse the disciples, it only tended to the furtherance 
of the Gospel; for "they went everywhere preaching the 
word;" and in about fifty years, it is thought, the Gospel 
was heard in the bounds of every considerable kingdom 
then on earth. 

This great work, however, was followed by a general 
declension. While the disciples were faithful, and simple- 



. 






SER. XXIII.] THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH. 235 

hearted, keeping up a marked difference between them and 
the world, and glorying only in the cross, the work went 
on with great success, bearing down every opposition. 
But when they grew to be a great people, and became 
more popular, the spirit of compromise with the world got 
in amongst them, the moral discipline of the Church was 
lowered, the rich and fashionable more frequently joined 
them, bringing their worldly-mindedness, and improper 
influence, with them ; also statesmen and politicians would 
naturally covet favor with the Church, to forward their own 
designs ; until the Church, from being poor, despised, and 
persecuted, began to walk in golden slippers, raise her 
glittering spires, control fleets and armies ; and in a word, 
the spirit of the world was measurably substituted for the 
Spirit of Christ, and "Ichabod," the glory has departed 
from Israel, was written on the door of the temple. Such, 
we learn from Church history, was the general state of 
religion a few centuries after Christ; which continued for 
many hundred years forward, forming what are called the 
dark ages of the Church ; during which anti-christ arose 
and spread a deadly influence over Zion. However, in the 
midst of all, God never left himself entirely without wit- 
nesses ; there were always a faithful few, more or less, 
who, amidst darkness, persecution, and death, shone as 
lights in the world, and the gates of hell did not prevail 
against them. 

After the many changes and conflicts of the Church 
referred to, light began to dawn from afar. Wickliflfe arose 
as the morning star of the Reformation. Luther soon fol- 
lowed with a mighty increase of light and strength, posses- 
sed of every needful qualification for such a bold and impor- 
tant enterprise. Equally unmoved by the bulls of popes, 
and the decrees of councils, he proceeded amidst gathering 
storms, assembled mobs, opening dungeons, and crackling 
flames, to proclaim a present, full, and free salvation, 



230 THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH. [sER. XXIII. 

through simple faith in Jesus Christ. Others were 
presently seen to take the field, affording a variety of gifts 
and talents in the great work. Zuinglius worked in 
Switzerland, while Luther worked in Saxony; and both 
were joined by others. Some writer says, "Melancthon 
was like a gliding stream; Knox came down like a 
thunder-storm ; and Calvin was like a settled day's rain." 
And though they had painful divisions within, and sore 
oppositions without, the work so triumphed, that in about 
fifty years they broke the shackles of popish tyranny from 
half of Christendom. And so long as the cause of Christ 
was dependent only on its own resources it flourished; 
but when Protestantism became popular, and was estab- 
lished by the civil authority, so as to amalgamate the 
Church and state, then she retained the form, but lost the 
power of godliness. So true was Christ when he said, 
"My kingdom is not of this world." And perhaps this 
unfortunate decline of Protestantism was partly the cause 
of Luther's opinion, that no revival of religion could con- 
tinue more than one generation. But we shall presently 
see how much he was mistaken. 

A little more than a century ago, a second and improved 
edition of this reformation commenced in Oxford, England. 
At that time the state of religion was exceedingly dull 
throughout the kingdoms of Europe. Mr. Hawies, in his 
Church history, informs us, that the Church ministers 
were still reading their cold, moral lectures; the Presby- 
terians for the most part had gone over to the Arians ; the 
Quakers still held their silent meetings ; and the Baptists 
had scarcely a name to live. Such was the general state 
of things when God poured his Spirit upon a few striplings, 
the Wesleys, Whitefield, and others, and thrust them out 
to raise up a holy people. These met with stern opposi- 
tion, but not defeat. Frequently, their zeal for Christ, and 
success in his work, caused them to be turned out of the 



SER. XXIII.] THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH. 237 

churches. This, however, only tended to a more rapid 
increase of the glorious work; for they resorted to fields, 
markets, and commons, where multiplied hundreds and 
thousands nocked to hear the word of life. The revival, 
which commenced then, has been going on ever since. 
More than seventy years ago, it crossed the Atlantic and 
rekindled in America. At first the other denominations 
were going with one consent to drive us as heretics from 
the walls of Zion by force ; but the more our doctrine was 
opposed, the more it was preached, and the better it was 
understood; and the better it was understood, the more 
generally it was believed and embraced. The ground of 
attack was then changed, and seeing they could not drive 
us, they came and wanted to help us, crying, "Peace, 
peace, union, union;" but we still minded our own busi- 
ness, believing that this was opposition in disguise, as it 
turned out to be: hence, the frequent attacks made on 
Methodism, east, west, north and south, by our opponents. 
"But none of these things move us." In the midst of all, 
see what God hath wrought. Hundreds of thousands of 
Methodists have died in the faith of Christ, and gone to 
heaven. Hundreds of thousands more are on their journey 
home. And beside this, it is believed they have been the 
means, under God, of giving a new and general impulse to 
all Christendom. Hence the revolutions in the religious 
world in doctrines, experience, and practice. Hence, also, 
the many associations for pious and benevolent purposes, 
by which the Gospel is rapidly spreading throughout the 
world. There are many, very many, great and glorious 
revivals of religion in the different branches of Christ's 
Church, wherein we do rejoice, and will rejoice; for as 
Bishop M'Kendree said, " God knows, and the people 
know, and we know where the work first commenced." 
Here then is a revival, which has lasted more than one 
hundred years; and what is to hinder it from going on 



238 THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH. [SER. XXIII. 

until the world is converted ? Nothing but ourselves. If 
ever we fall as a people, generally, we shall fail under our 
own weight; opposition from without cannot hurt us, 
otherwise we should have been devoured long since. If 
Methodists will attend strictly to their doctrines, experience, 
and discipline and usages, according to the original system 
received from their fathers, so as to maintain a pure minis- 
try, and a holy membership, they have nothing to fear. 
God will continue with them, and who can successfully 
oppose ? We hasten to notice, 

III. Wherein this latter house exceeds the former house 
in glory. 

First, in her sacrifices. The sacrifices of the Jewish 
Church were only ceremonial; they could not take away 
sins, else would the comers thereunto have been made 
perfect ; but were a shadow of good things to come. Often 
did holy women bring their offerings of flour, and oil, and 
wine ; while priests carried baskets of green corn with one 
hand, and led a ram by the horn with the other, or took a 
red heifer for a sin-ofTering without the camp. But what 
were all these compared with the sacrifice of Christ, 
when he offered his soul and body as a living sacrifice 
upon the flaming altar of his divinity, for all Jews and all 
Gentiles ! 

Again, in her ministry. Amongst the Jews, the priests, 
who attended much to the temple service, had but little to 
do with the instruction of the people. But there was 
another class of men called seers or prophets, who taught 
them occasionally; yet their discourses were either pro- 
phetic or mostly explanatory of dreams and visions, refer- 
ring to things future, addressed to kings and other great 
persons, and came to the common people remotely. Not 
so the ministry of the Gospel. We are sent to offer all 
men, not a Messiah to come, but an all-sufficient Savior, 
who died for their sins, rose for their justification, and 



SER. XXIII.] THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH. 239 

now ever liveth to make intercession for them. May this 
come to our ears and hearts to-day like good news from a 
far country ! 

The latter house exceeds the former also in her divine 
influence. There was certainly some divine influence in 
the Jewish religion ; but Christianity brings us the dispensa- 
tion of the Spirit, and the day of God's power. In all 
cases where there is a faithful exhibition of Gospel truth, 
God attends it with more or less power to all who receive 
it. Not that it uniformly produces conversions; for con- 
version is but one part of the great work of grace, which 
God is carrying on in the souls of men ; but it operates on 
the hearers according to their different states of mind, in 
proportion as they receive the message: sometimes 
awakening, then converting, and then sanctifying them. 
Hence, whether the Lord employs us as the instruments of 
alarming sinners, or bringing them to Christ, or feeding 
and strengthening his sheep, we are in our proper place, 
and ought to be content. 

Once more, the latter house is greater than the former 
house in extent. At first the Jewish Church was com- 
posed of one family, afterward of twelve tribes, and at best 
was confined to Judea; but the Christian Church has for 
the field of her labors the whole earth. Soon after her 
organization, her enemies exclaimed, "They have filled 
Jerusalem with their doctrines." Ah, true, but this was 
only the beginning of the work. The kingdoms of Europe, 
and states of America, are well nigh filled with the joyful 
sound. The icy regions of the north, and burning plains 
of Africa, have heard the heavenly echo. It has been 
remarked, that one army of missionaries traveling eastward, 
and another westward, will soon meet in the islands of the 
Pacific Ocean, and encircle our globe with the girdle of 
Gospel truth. A few more struggles, and the glorious mil- 
lenium will shine with full splendor on our once benighted 



240 THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH. [sER. XXIII. 

world. Heathen temples will all go to the moles and bats ; 
Turks will abandon their delusive dreams ; Popery will 
utter her expiring groan ; the lost tribes will gather to their 
long neglected Messiah, with the fullness of the Gentiles ; 
and the little stone cut out of the mountain without hands, 
will become a great mountain itself, and fill the whole 
world with glory. 

In conclusion, we would observe, that in all ages of the 
Church, there have been some visible displays of God's 
glory; but much more at sometimes than others. Jacob 
saw a ladder, which reached from earth to heaven, on 
which angels ascended and descended, and above stood the 
God of his fathers. The prophets saw great sights. Thus, 
Moses perceived a flame of fire in a bush, and the bush 
was not consumed. Afterward called of God, he took 
Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders, and went upon 
a mountain, and they saw the God of Israel, and under his 
feet a paved work, and as it were the body of heaven in its 
clearness ; while the sight of the glory of God was like 
devouring fire on the mountain in the eyes of the children 
of Israel. When Solomon prayed, the glory of God like a 
cloud filled the temple. Isaiah tells us, that " in the year 
that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a 
throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 
Above it stood the seraphim. * * * And one cried to 
another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts : 
the whole earth is full of his glory." So we trace the 
subject through the prophetic ages. And when the visible 
glory of God fades away on the spires of Jewish syna- 
gogues, it is only to be lighted up on the descent of angels 
at Messiah's birth, saying, " Glory to God in the highest, 
on earth peace and good will to men." At his baptism, it 
descended upon him under the peaceful emblem of a dove. 
At his transfiguration, it enveloped him like a cloud, and 
caused his face to shine as the sun, his garments to be white 



SER. XXIV.] THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. 241 

as snow, and his hair as pure wool ; and when he ascended, 
it was on a bright cloud of glory. But did Christ take all 
this glory with him to heaven? Nay; for it caused the 
face of dying Stephen to look like the face of an angel, and 
so illuminated him, that he saw all the way into heaven. 
And often may be seen the light of the knowledge of the 
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, shining on the 
faces of Zion's sons and daughters. O Lord, let the cloud 
of glory overshadow us now. May it light us all the way 
through this howling wilderness ; and when we close our 
eyes in death on all sublunary objects, may it be to open 
them with sweet surprise on visions of glory, where Christ 
sitteth at the right hand of God ! Then we shall see glory, 
feel glory, sing glory, and shout glory ; and it will be all 
glory to God and the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen. 



SERMON XXIV. 

THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. 

To notice all the difficulties, and answer all the sophisms 
with which the captious disputants and vain wranglers of 
modern times have obscured this subject, though not very 
hard, does not come within the limits of our present plan ; 
and, therefore, will not be attempted. Our design is to 
present a plain, concise discourse on the subjects of bap- 
tism, reserving what we have to say on the mode for 
another time. But before we take up the main subject, 
permit us to make a few remarks on the nature of the 
ordinance, as it is exhibited in the sacred Scriptures ; and, 

1. There are various baptisms, which were administered 
for various purposes; thus, (1.) Some "were baptized unto 
Moses," or initiated as subjects of his law. (2.) Others 
received from John "the baptism of repentance," which 
taught them the necessity of repentance, and brought them 

21 



242 THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. [sER. XXIV. 

under obligation to repent. (3.) This was followed by the 
baptism of Christ, or that which is used in the Christian 
Church ; and which is not only a badge of profession, but 
also an outward sign of the inward work of grace, the puri- 
fication of our nature, which all need to fit them for heaven. 
Hence, the baptism of water, and that of the Spirit, are so 
frequently associated by the sacred writers, in reference to 
the same subjects; for example, Acts x, 47, "Can any 
man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which 
have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" 

2. The design of the Christian baptism appears farther 
from the name in which it is administered. At the day 
of Pentecost, Peter required the Jews, who had openly 
rejected the Messiah, to be baptized, specially, "in the 
name of Jesus Christ," as an open recantation of their 
error; but when our Savior sent out his ministers to evan- 
gelize the world, in order to give the Gentiles the knowl- 
edge of the true God, he commanded them to baptize "in 
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost." 

3. What then is essential to the ordinance of baptism? 
Answer, the application of water, in the name of the Triune 
God, by any one duly authorized as Christ's minister; and 
whoever is thus baptized, whether by sprinkling or plung- 
ing, is legally baptized : and, hence, the folly, not to say 
impiety, of repeating the same ordinance, on the same 
subject, again and again, as some have done. On all these 
points, it would be easy to enlarge, but we must hasten to 
notice the subjects of baptism; and, 

I. Adult believers are proper subjects. 

1. All who believe in the ordinance at all, admit that 
adult believers, who have not been baptized, are fit subjects 
of baptism. Here all are well agreed touching the premi- 
ses, and we have nothing to Object. But, 

2. We are not so well agreed respecting the conclusions 



SER. XXIV.] THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. 243 

drawn therefrom. It has been inferred, that because be- 
lievers' baptism is right, all other baptisms are wrong. 
How does this follow? "We wot not." Suppose a 
statesman in a popular harangue, should undertake to 
prove that gold is a lawful tender in the United States, 
and after referring to the Constitution of the general govern- 
ment, the journals of Congress, and various other docu- 
ments, and displaying all his eloquence for an hour upon 
the subject, should, with much apparent triumph, conclude 
thus : Gold is a lawful tender, therefore silver is not ! 
What would you think of his wisdom ? The application is 
easy. Very commonly, a certain class of preachers in our 
day get up and labor for one, two, or three hours, to prove 
believers' baptism, which no one in the congregation denies ; 
and then finish by telling us, believers' baptism is right, 
therefore all other baptisms are wrong! Query. Is this 
common-place error among them owing to the badness 
of the cause which they advocate ? 

II. True penitents are proper subjects of baptism. 

1. Baptism is one of the means of grace ; and, therefore, 
suitable for penitents, who need all the help they can get. 
So Peter understood it, as appears from the advice he gave 
those who were smitten under his preaching: "Now when 
they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said 
unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and breth- 
ren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Re- 
pent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of 
Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive 
the gift of the Holy Ghost," Acts ii, 37, 38. Here we 
can but mark the difference between the system of some 
Calvinistic teachers, and that of the Gospel. Their sys- 
tem is, 1. Conversion. 2. Repentance. 3. Pardon; and 
lastly, baptism. But Peter's arrangement is, 1. Repen- 
tance. 2. Baptism. 3. Pardon; and, 4. The witness of 
the Spirit. 



244 THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. [SER. XXIV. 

2. Other strong proofs that the apostles received penitent 
sinners into the Church by baptism, are found in the 8th 
chapter of the Acts. After Philip had preached at Samaria, 
and baptized many, both men and women, Peter and John 
went down and "prayed for them that they might receive 
the Holy Ghost : for as yet he was fallen upon none of 
them : only they were baptized in the name of the Lord 
Jesus." Observe, they were baptized, but had not received 
the Spirit, and of course they were not converted. In the 
same chapter we have the account of Simon, who believed 
the preaching of Philip, and was baptized by him ; to 
whom Peter afterward said, "I perceive that thou art in 
the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." We 
would inquire, was he so when he was baptized ? Or did 
he get converted before he was baptized, and afterward fall 
from grace? " Whether of the twain do you choose ?" 

III. Infants and little children, we think, are proper sub- 
jects of baptism, according to the Scriptures. It may not 
be amiss to remark here, that a very easy method of 
managing this controversy has been adopted by some 
modern teachers ; that is, first, to deny the authority of the 
Old Testament in the case ; and, secondly, alter the New 
so as to accommodate it to their own creed. But our 
general plan shall be to show that the writers of the Old 
and New Testaments agree in their testimony upon the 
subject. 

1. All infants need the thing which baptism represents — 
namely, the purification of their nature by the grace of God. 
To charge my congregation with denying this, would be to 
charge them with being Pelagians; and we will lose no 
time in proving now what all Christians allow to be true— 
the depravity of human nature. 

2. They all have a right to that purification which they 
need, and of which baptism is a sign. Children have an 
interest in the covenant of grace, or they have not; one 



SER. XXIV.] THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. 245 

of these positions must be correct. If they have not, then 
the horrible doctrine of infant reprobation is true, the mere 
thought of which is enough to chill the blood in our veins ! 
But if they have an interest in the covenant of grace, why 
deprive them of baptism, the initiating ordinance under that 
covenant, being the true Christian circumcision? "And ye 
are complete in him, which is the head of all principality 
and power: in whom also ye are circumcised with the 
circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body 
of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ," 
Colossians ii, 11; that is, the baptism of the Spirit, of 
which water baptism is a sign. 

3. But there is no express precept for infant Church 
membership under the Gospel, says an objector. We 
answer, nor was it necessary respecting a thing that had 
existed, and been well understood, from the days of Abra- 
ham. In reference to this subject, several things are suf- 
ficiently plain and easy to be understood, and admitted by 
all who will impartially examine them; and, (1.) God 
made a covenant with Abraham, Genesis 17th chapter. 
(2.) Infants were recognized as subjects of this covenant 
by the rite of circumcision. (3.) That covenant was the 
Gospel in miniature; for Paul says, "And the Scripture, 
foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through 
faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, 
In thee shall all the nations be blessed," Galatians iii, 8. 
(4.) As infants were members under that Gospel covenant 
by circumcision, so they should be now by baptism, which 
Paul calls the circumcision of Christ. But to this view 
of the subject there are two objections that deserve to be 
noticed, 1. If infants are fit subjects of one Gospel ordi- 
nance, they are of another; and, therefore, to be consistent, 
you should admit them to the sacrament of the Lord's sup- 
per. Our answer is, under the former dispensation there 
were two distinguishing ordinances — namely, circumcision 
21* 



246 THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. [sER. XXIV. 

and sacrifices. Answering to these, we have in this dispen- 
sation, baptism and the Lord's supper ; but, as under the 
former infants were circumcised, but not required to offer 
sacrifices, so under the latter they are baptized, but not 
required to commune. But how does it come, says one, 
that you baptize children, both male and female ; whereas, 
under the old covenant, only male children were recognized 
by circumcision? If this deserve any answer, we would 
give it by asking, how does it come that a man's wife and 
children are all called by his own name, and not by the 
name she had previous to her marriage? Objection 2. All 
this proves nothing respecting a Gospel ordinance, seeing 
the Jewish Church was only a national thing, and afforded 
only temporal blessings. Answer, we have already proved 
that the covenant God made with Abraham contained the 
Gospel, in that it promised to him, that in his seed, which 
Paul says "was Christ," all the nations should be blessed. 
Now, were Christ and his Gospel only temporal blessings ? 
Beside this, Paul has proved in the epistle to Romans xi, 
16-26, that Israel, or the Jewish Church, except those 
broken off by unbelief, was the original stock, into which 
the Gentile converts were grafted as branches, and became 
partakers of the nature thereof. Now, if the Jewish 
Church was only a national establishment, which promised 
nothing but temporal blessings, then the Christian Gentiles 
who were grafted in, became only a part of that national, 
temporal establishment ; and the apostles too, who, on the 
same evening, ate with Jesus the Jewish passover, and the 
Christian sacrament of the Lord's supper, were only mem- 
bers of that same national, temporal Church ! And, accord- 
ing to this doctrine, God never yet had, and peradventure 
never will have, an evangelical Church in our world. 

4. The covenant which the Lord made with Abraham 
and his posterity, he renewed with Moses and all Israel in 
such a way as to afford positive proof of infant member- 



SER. XXIV.] THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. 247 

ship. "Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your 
God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your 
officers, with all the men of Israel, your little ones, your 
wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the 
hewer of thy wood, unto the drawer of thy water: that 
thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, 
and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with 
thee this day : that he may establish thee to-day for a 
people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, 
as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy 
fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob," Deut. xxix, 
10-13. In this, among the rest of God's covenant people, 
Moses mentions "your little ones," without regard to sex; 
and unless it can be shown, that this right of membership is 
taken from them in the New Testament, their claim must 
be admitted. But where is it written, that they are deprived 
of this right? Surely not in Acts ii, 39, where Peter says, 
" For the promise is unto you, and to your children," &c. 
What promise? The promise God made to Abraham, 
and renewed to Israel as above, this promise is still "to 
you and to your children." In Acts iii, 25, this expla- 
nation is confirmed. " Ye are the children of the prophets, 
and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, 
saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kin- 
dreds of the earth be blessed." But stop! Mr. Campbell 
has found a positive prohibition of infant Church member- 
ship. Where? In Galatians iv, 29, 30, "But as then he 
that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born 
after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless, what 
saith the Scripture? Cast out the bond-woman and her 
son: for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with 
the son of the free-woman." Here, every body sees, that 
the excommunicated party were "cast out" for the sin 
of persecution; and are infants persecutors? If not, the 
text has no relevancy to the case. Infants expelled from 



248 THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. [SER. XXIV. 

the Church for the sin of persecution! Such are the 
ridiculous absurdities to which even learned men are 
driven, when they undertake to defend their cause by- 
pleading for error in opposition to truth. 

5. Should it still be urged, that there is no command to 
baptize infants and children, we would reply, neither is 
there any command to the contrary. But we think they 
are included in the general commission to baptize: "Go 
ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them," &c, 
Matthew xxviii, 19. To know who are entitled to bap- 
tism, we have only to ascertain who compose the nations. 
Are there any infants and little children among them ? If 
so, they are included in the commission to baptize, and 
when presented we dare not turn them away. Nor does 
the circumstance of their not being here particularly named, 
as distinguished from others, disprove their claim. Sup- 
pose you employ a man as a shepherd, and give him a 
general bill of instruction to take care of your flock of sheep 
during the winter. In the latter part of February, on a 
stormy day, you go out to see how he manages ; and, 
behold, he has all the old sheep housed, and supplied with 
provender, but the lambs are all left out and exposed to the 
storm; and though the dams are bleating within, and the 
lambs mournfully crying without, he stands at the gate 
of the fold with a bush, beating them back at every turn. 
You inquire, why do you thus cruelly treat the tenderest 
of my flock? He answers, you told me to take care of 
your sheep, but did not mention the lambs in particular; 
therefore, I thought they must be left out. Now, who does 
not see the analogy between this case and that of the advo- 
cates of exclusive adult baptism ? They claim to be shep- 
herds of the flock of Christ, and to act under the precept, 
"Feed my sheep." By and by they will be called to an 
account; and, lo, they have the strong believers housed in 
the Church, or grazing on the pastures of grace, but their 



SER. XXIV.] THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. 249 

infants and little children are driven off with their Church 
discipline, and left to wander on the devil's commons, shift 
for themselves, or starve to death. Query. Will the chief 
Shepherd and Bishop of souls say to them, " Well done 
good and faithful servants?" We think not in this par- 
ticular; for Christ not only says, "Feed my sheep," 
but also, "Feed my lambs." And the best way is to 
put the mark of Christian baptism upon them at the out-set, 
and thereby bring them into the fold, where they can be 
attended to in order. 

6. So the apostles understood their commission, and 
acted accordingly, baptizing whole families, from the oldest 
to the youngest, on the profession of the faith of the heads 
thereof. Observe, not the faith of the families, but the 
heads of families. Lydia and her house, the jailer and his 
household, named in Acts xvi, and the house of Stephanas, 
1 Corinthians i, 16, are examples. As it regards the pre- 
tended argument, that there were no children in those 
families, it is a mere quibble. Look into the state of 
society around you, take the families as they come, and 
how many of them will you pass before you find three 
without children? Perhaps sixty— that is, as one to 
twenty ; therefore, there are about nineteen reasons to 
believe that those families baptized by the apostles con- 
tained children, for one reason to believe they did not; and 
feeble indeed must that system be, which has nineteen 
chances to be wrong, and only one to be right ! 

7. The words and conduct of the Savior are favorable to 
infant baptism. "And they brought young children to 
him, that he should touch them ; and his disciples rebuked 
those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was 
much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little chil- 
dren to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is 
the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever 
shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he 



250 THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. [sER. XXIV. 

shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, 
put his hands upon them, and blessed them." This evi- 
dence in favor of infant baptism may be briefly presented 
as follows — namely, (1.) "And they brought," as Isaiah 
had foretold, "they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and 
thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders." (2.) 
Whom? "Young children;" or as Luke called them, 
"little infants," of tender age. (3.) "Unto him," Christ, 
whose grace they needed. (4.) The object was, that they 
might be blessed; and he received them willingly, for 
"he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and 
blessed them." " But he did not baptize them," says one. 
Neither did he baptize any adult, John iv, 2. (5.) " The 
disciples rebuked," or reproved, " those that brought them," 
as many do now. (6.) The cause of this probably was, 
that they were under eight days of age ; and, according to 
the custom of the times, too young for dedication. (7.) 
"Jesus was much displeased," and will any presume to 
repeat the offense? (8.) "And said, Suffer the little chil- 
dren to come unto me," or be brought as above. (9.) 
"For of such is the kingdom of God." What kingdom? 
If you say the Church militant, or visible kingdom of 
Christ, the question is decided. If you say the kingdom 
of grace in the heart, of which baptism is the outward sign, 
we are safe in the argument ; and if you say the kingdom 
of glory, or Church triumphant, it will answer us as well ; 
for if they are fit for the Church above, they are for the 
Church below. And if there was not another passage of 
Scripture on the subject, this one would be sufficient to 
prove, by fair inference, the right of infants to baptism. 
We say, by fair inference; for we do not profess to be 
expressly commanded in so many words to baptize infants. 
Still in this practice, we are at least as well sustained by 
Scripture authority, as are the advocates of exclusive 
immersion. They cannot find so much as the word 






SER. XXIV.] THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. 251 

immerse in the standard version of the Old or New Testa- 
ment in reference to the ordinance of baptism, and have no 
authority for the practice of immersion, except inference, 
aided by their own construction of the sacred Scriptures. 
But we must defer our argument on that subject to another 
occasion. 

8. There are several objections to the doctrine; and, 1. 
It does them no good, because they know nothing of the 
matter. And does nothing do us any good, but what we 
have knowledge of at the time ? Then the food that nour- 
ished us when helpless infants, did us no good ; the sacri- 
fice of Christ that redeemed us, did us no good! But this 
doctrine is not' believed by them who urge it, as appears 
from their own actions. For illustration, here is an opposer 
of infant baptism, he is elected to an office of profit; and 
for the faithful performance of the duties of his office, he 
enters into bond with security to the government, in which 
he binds himself, his heirs, &c, some of whom are little 
children. Now ask him, why do you bind your little chil- 
dren? they know nothing of the transaction. "True," 
says he, " yet this obligation stands good in law." Indeed ! 
So we baptize our children ; for though they know nothing 
of it now, it stands good in the divine law. Objection 2. 
Repentance and faith are required in order to baptism ; but 
infants cannot repent and believe, therefore they cannot be 
baptized. Answer, repentance and faith are required in 
order to salvation; but infants cannot repent and believe, 
therefore infants cannot be saved! This old, worn-out 
objection needs no other than the old answer above, which 
shows either that the objection is not founded in truth, or 
else that all the infants are reprobates ! The fact is, repen- 
tance and faith are required of adults, as conditions both of 
baptism and salvation; but of infants, they are not required 
as conditions of either ; and, consequently, all such texts as 
the objection alludes to, prove nothing for or against infant 



252 THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. [sER. XXIV. 

baptism, for they say nothing" on the subject. Objection 3. 
Nothing but an express, divine command can authorize 
a positive institution. Answer, then nothing can authorize 
those who say so, to give the sacrament to women ! These 
objections are too trite, and have been too long exploded, 
to justify present discussion. Objection 4. Infant baptism 
is a great barrier to Christian communion. But who made 
it so ? This never made any difficulty in the union of 
Christians, until the advocates of exclusive adult baptism 
raised the bar ; nor does it now with any but themselves ; 
for against this rite they stand single-handed, and make but 
a feeble opposition. 

On a review of our rapid plan, it will be seen, that we 
have admitted the claims of believers to this ordinance, 
without invalidating those of penitents or infants. In 
reference to the latter, we have shown, that they need, and 
under the covenant of grace are entitled to purification; 
that baptism is the sign of that purification ; that they were 
included in the Abrahamic covenant, which was a Gospel 
covenant; that their membership was subsequently recog- 
nized in the Church of Israel, which was the stock into 
which the Christians, as branches, were ingrafted; that 
this membership, so far from being taken from them, was 
rather confirmed under the Christian economy ; that they, 
by fair implication, were included in the general commis- 
sion to baptize ; that the apostles, acting under this com- 
mission, baptized whole families, great and small; that the 
words and conduct of Christ were all favorable to the prac- 
tice of infant baptism ; and that the objections against it are 
unfounded. 

In conclusion, we have just to say, that the claims of 
infants and little children to baptism, are so well supported 
by Scripture, reason, and the fitness of things, that the 
whole Christian world are- generally agreed to admit them. 
The Greek Church, Roman Church, Church of England, 



SER. XXV.] THE MODE OF BAPTISM. 253 

the Lutherans, Protestant Episcopal Church, Kirk of Scot- 
land, various classes of Presbyterians, Methodists, and in a 
word, every branch of the Christian Church on earth, with 
but one honorable exception, namely, the Baptist Church, 
approve of infant baptism. The Quakers, or Friends, 
though a respectable people, believe in no outward ordi- 
nances, and therefore are not included at all in this calcu- 
lation. And for our own part, we think it would be about 
as easy to keep up orchards without nurseries, literature 
without schools, or commonwealths without marriages, as 
to keep up a prosperous state of religion in the world 
without infant baptism. But with it, the cause is gaining, 
and will finally prevail over every opposition, until Christ 
shall claim the heathen for his inheritance, and the utter- 
most parts of the earth for his possession. Amen and Amen. 



SERMON XXV. 

THE MODE OF BAPTISM. 

On one side of this subject it is contended, that they who 
are immersed by an administrator who has been immersed 
himself, and they only, are baptized. On the other side it 
is contended, that persons may be properly baptized, with- 
out being immersed. "Let every adult person, and the 
parents of every child to be baptized, have the choice either 
of immersion, sprinkling, or pouring," Methodist Disci- 
pline, page 69. The question to be discussed is, not 
whether immersion be baptism, but whether it be the only 
baptism. And as we have no time for further introduction, 
we shall proceed immediately to notice, in the plainest 
manner of which we are capable, 

I. The arguments employed to prove that immersion is 
the only baptism. 

II. The arguments against that system, and in favor 
of sprinkling and pouring. 

22 



254 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. [sER. XXV. 

I. In neither case can we, consistently with the brevity 
of our plan, attend to the subject in all its details, but we 
shall notice its principal features. The arguments to prove 
immersion the only baptism, which are principally relied 
on, are five — namely, 

1. The definition of the word baptize. We shall not tax 
ourselves or hearers with any attempt to explain this word, 
by criticisms on the original, a practice which is seldom 
necessary, except for such as advocate a bad cause. John- 
son says, " Baptize, to christen." Walker says, " Baptize, 
to administer the sacrament of baptism, sprinkle, plunge." 
Webster says, "Baptize, to administer the sacrament of 
baptism, to christen." Parkhurst says, "To baptize, to 
immerse in, or wash with water in token of purification 
from sin, and from spiritual pollution." The testimony 
of these four authors, that the word does not necessarily 
mean to immerse, ought to satisfy all reasonable people. 
But the plungers say, "It never means to sprinkle or pour, 
but always to dip or immerse." Let us try this definition 
by Mr. Campbell's rule in the debate with M'Auley, page 
225, where he says, " Now, it is an universal rule, that the 
correct definition of a word, will always make good sense, 
when substituted in lieu of the term defined." We admit, 
that this is a correct rule ; and, consequently, if the word 
baptize always means to dip or immerse, then dip or 
immerse will always make good sense when substituted for 
baptize. We will try it in a few places; and, (1.) Mat- 
thew iii, 11, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repen- 
tance: but * * * he shall baptize you with the Holy 
Ghost, and with fire." Now, change the terms thus, I 
dip you with water ; but he shall dip you with the Holy 
Ghost, and dip you with fire! Here, according to this 
definition, water, the Holy Ghost, and fire, are converted 
into three ladles with which to dip the subjects of baptism. 
But perhaps they would prefer to substitute the term im- 






SER. XXV.] THE MODE OF BAPTISM. 255 

merse. Then it would read, (allowing them to change the 
preposition also,) I immerse you in water; but he shall 
immerse you in the Holy Ghost, and in fire ! When we 
read of people receiving the Holy Ghost, and the fire of 
God's love, we understand the language; but when we 
read of people being immersed in them, we understand it 
not. Do our opponents understand such figures ? Again, 
1 Corinthians x, 1, 2, our fathers "were all baptized unto 
Moses in the cloud, and in the sea." To say that our 
fathers were dipped unto Moses, would be singular; but 
Mr. C.'s new version says, they "were all immersed into 
Moses!" What all? The Israelites, more than six hun- 
dred thousand men that journeyed on foot, beside their 
women and children, all these " were immersed into 
Moses!" Then he was more pregnant with Jews, than 
the man was with devils, in whom they said, "Our name 
is legion: for we are many !" We find that the words dip 
and immerse, do not "always make good sense when sub- 
stituted in lieu of " baptize; therefore, to baptize does not 
"always" mean to dip or immerse, themselves being 
judges. If it did, it would follow, according to the use 
made of it Mark vii, 4, where it is properly rendered wash, 
that the Jews were immersed before each meal : also, that 
they immersed their tables, couches, and all their furniture. 
Hence, the argument derived from the definition of the 
term baptize, fails to prove that immersion is the only 
baptism. 

2. The next argument relied on, is taken from the bap- 
tism of Christ. The argument drawn from Christ's bap- 
tism, when reduced to any kind of form, appears to be this : 
Christ entered the pales of the visible Church by immer- 
sion, as an example to show us that we must become mem- 
bers of the Church by immersion also. ,To this we reply, 
(1.) Christ was initiated into the visible Church when eight 
days old by circumcision, and had never been excluded so 



256 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. [sER. XXV. 

as to require a readmission. (2.) The baptism of John 
was not the same which Christ required his apostles to 
administer, as appears from the two following circum- 
stances: 1st. John's disciples were not baptized in the 
name of the Trinity as Christ's were ; for they told Paul at 
Ephesus, that though they had been baptized by John, 
they had not "so much as heard that there be any Holy 
Ghost;" and, of course, were not baptized in his name. 
2d. Paul rebaptized John's disciples under the Gospel 
economy. Both of these facts are fully and fairly stated, 
Acts xix, 1-7. "And it came to pass, that while Apollos 
was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper 
coasts, came to Ephesus ; and finding certain disciples, he 
said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye 
believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much 
as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said 
unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they 
said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily 
baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the 
people, that they should believe on him which should come 
after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, 
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And 
when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost 
came on them ; and they spake with tongues, and prophe- 
sied. And all the men were about twelve." Again, (3.) 
The washing or baptism of Christ was "to fulfill all 
righteousness." What righteousness? Of faith? Then 
we need not believe ; for he fulfilled it all. Of baptism ? 
Then we need not be baptized; for he fulfilled it all. 
What then? The righteousness of the ceremonial law 
touching the priesthood ; he fulfilled all of this, and made 
an end of it. And by comparing the law of Moses in the 
case with the history of Christ's baptism, it will appear 
that the baptism he received of John was simply his dedi- 
cation to the priestly office. The law regulating the priest- 



SER. XXV.] THE MODE OF BAPTISM. 257 

hood required that the subject ordained should be from 
thirty to fifty years old; so it is said, " when Christ began 
to be about thirty years of age, he came to John to be bap- 
tized of him." The law required the priest to be washed 
before the door of the tabernacle, Exodus xl, 12. Christ 
was washed at Jordan before the door of the visible Church. 
The priest was anointed with oil, Leviticus 8th chapter ; so 
Christ was anointed "with the oil of gladness," the Holy 
Ghost that descended upon his head like a dove, the emblem 
of peace. All admit that Christ was " the high priest of our 
profession;" but when was he consecrated to that office, 
if not by John at the Jordan ? From all which it appears, 
that this baptism was only to fulfill the righteousness of the 
ceremonial law respecting his office as priest. (4.) It is 
not said, that Christ was immersed. Ah! but he "went 
up straightway out of the water;" and, therefore, he must 
have been under it, you say. But all we understand to be 
meant by the words, "Went up straightway out of the 
water," is, that he ascended immediately from the water, 
or went up from the banks of Jordan, to receive the descent 
of the Spirit. So it is explained by Watson, Martindale, 
Benson, and others. There is no proof that Christ was 
immersed, either express or by necessary inference; and 
if he was, it was never intended as an example for us, 
seeing it was only his dedication to the priestly office. 

3. The next argument relied on to prove exclusive im- 
mersion, is the baptism of the eunuch, mentioned in the 8th 
chapter of Acts, " And he commanded the chariot to stand 
still : and they went down both into the water, both Philip 
and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they 
were come up out of the water," <fcc. The circumstance 
of their leaving the carriage and descending to the water, 
may be accounted for by the fact that they were travelers, 
and had no other means of getting it. But the strength 
of the argument is founded on the words into and out of; 
22* 



258 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. [SER. XXV. 

which, however, either prove nothing, or else prove too 
much ; for " they went down both into the water, both 
Philip and the eunuch;" consequently, if the eunuch's 
going into the water proves that he was immersed, it fol- 
lows, fairly, that Philip's going into the water proves he 
was immersed at the same time ; and, therefore, to follow 
the apostolic mode, according to this doctrine, every time a 
minister immerses a subject, he should immerse himself 
also. Beside, the preposition into does not uniformly mean 
all under; for Christ " went up into a mountain," when he 
preached his memorable sermon ; so Philip and the eunuch 
"went down both into the water." Now, if in the latter 
case they were all under the water, then in the former, our 
Savior was all under the mountain when preaching. Once 
more, the common sense construction of the case is unfa- 
vorable to immersion. A man says, "I rode down into the 
river, watered my horse, and returned." Would not this 
be proper language? Yet who (but a Baptist so called) 
would ever think of the horse and rider being entirely under 
the water ? 

4. The next argument is raised from the doctrinal refer- 
ences to the action of baptism used by Paul, Romans vi, 
1-11, too long to quote, but the part principally relied on, 
is, " Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into 
Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death ? Therefore we 
are buried by baptism into death : that like as Christ was 
raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so 
we also should walk in newness of life." It is thought to 
be very plain from this text, that water baptism is designed 
to represent the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, 
and therefore the subject must be immersed. We reply, 
(1.) Is there any mention made of water here? Not any; 
and if there was, and that for the purpose, as you sup- 
pose, of representing the death, burial, and resurrection 
of Christ, what then, we ask, is the Lord's supper intended 



6ER. XXV.] THE MODE OF BAPTISM. 259 

for ? We have always supposed, with the Christian world 
generally, that the Lord's supper was designed to show 
forth his death, or what he had done for us by redemption, 
and water baptism to show what he does in us by his 
Spirit; but, according to your system, we have two sacra- 
ments to represent his sufferings for us, and none to repre- 
sent his grace in us ! If we were to administer the Lord's 
supper only as an emblem of conversion, we should pervert 
the ordinance, and destroy its, original design; and when 
others administer baptism as an emblem of Christ's death, 
burial, and resurrection, do not they pervert this ordinance, 
and destroy its original design ? Certainly. Then adminis- 
ter as you will, but refer it to its proper object. (2.) Every 
burial implies three things— namely, an agent, an action, 
and an object acted upon; but here, the agent is baptism, 
4 'buried by baptism," the action is burial, and the object is 
the subject interred. And what is the nature of this death, 
burial, and resurrection? Answer, it is a death and burial 
"unto sin," and a resurrection unto "newness of life." 
Then whatever baptism Paul here speaks of, it is that 
which produces in believers a death unto sin, or a change 
from sin to holiness; for this is the subject of his argu- 
ment. And what baptism is it that converts the soul? 
Answer, the baptism of the Holy Ghost ; and this is, there- 
fore, the baptism which Paul here speaks of, where his 
design is to prove, that as Christ died for sin, we must die 
unto sin ; and as Christ rose again, so we must rise with 
him to newness of life. Hence, this text proves nothing 
in regard to water baptism, inasmuch as it says nothing on 
the subject. The case in Colossians, 2d chapter, is simi- 
lar, and the argument need not be repeated. The next and 
last general argument for exclusive immersion that we shall 
notice, is, 

5. The places where and the circumstances under 
which the ordinance was administered, show that it must 



260 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. [sER. XXV. 

have been by immersion; and, (1.) "John was baptizing 
in iEnon, near to Salim, because there was much water 
there; and they came, and were baptized." Every body 
knows that much and little are relative terms. A never- 
failing spring or well would answer all the purposes of any 
congregation assembled for religious purposes, except 
plungers. But, (2.) The people were baptized of John in 
Jordan, and therefore must have been immersed. We 
answer, first, he might have, baptized thousands standing in 
Jordan, or between the banks of Jordan, without immersing 
one of them. It does not necessarily mean under. A man 
may be in a river without being under water. We give the 
following example: "And thou shalt command the priests 
that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are 
come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand 
still in Jordan. * * * And the priests that bare the 
ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground 
in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on 
dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over 
Jordan," Joshua iii, 8, 17. Why not conclude, therefore, 
that John's baptizing "in Jordan" means only at, by, or 
with the water of Jordan ? The last corresponds exactly 
with John's own words, where he said, "I indeed baptize 
you with water," that is, I apply the water to you, and not 
you to the water. We answer, secondly, that John on 
some occasions baptized not in Jordan, but in a house. 
" These things we're done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, 
where John was baptizing," John i, 28. Bethabara means 
a house of passage, and stood, not in the river, but "be- 
yond Jordan, where John was baptizing." Query. Could 
John be in Jordan and beyond Jordan at the same time ? 
We trow not. Again, John x, 39, 40, " Therefore they 
sought again to take him ; but he escaped out of their hand, 
and went away again beyond Jordan, into the place where 
John at first baptized; and there he abode." Where did 



SER. XXV.] THE MODE OF BAPTISM. 261 

Christ live? "In the place where John at first baptized." 
And did our Savior live in the river? No. Neither did 
John baptize in the river; for it was "away beyond Jor- 
dan." Thus, after a brief examination of all the principal 
arguments in favor of exclusive immersion, we have 
crossed, dry-shod, all the creeks, ponds, rivers, and lakes, 
that our good friends, the dippers, have been able to dis- 
cover; and, now, our way being clear of watery obstruc- 
tions, we shall proceed to notice, 

II. The arguments against that system, and in favor 
of affusion, or sprinkling and pouring. From the history 
of the first spreading of the Gospel, as contained in the 
Acts of the Apostles, it is obvious that wherever the people 
received the Gospel message, they acknowledged their 
belief and interest in it by receiving baptism. Observe, 

1. The baptism of Paul, Acts 9th and 22d chapters. 
The facts of whose case are, (1.) He was baptized in the 
city of Damascus. (2.) He was baptized on the street 
called Straight. (3.) He was baptized in the house of 
Judas. (4.) He was baptized, not lying down in water, 
but standing, either on his knees or feet ; for Ananias said 
to him, "Arise, and be baptized." (5.) He was baptized 
before he was converted— " Be baptized and wash away 
thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Here then is 
one illustrious example of baptism in a private dwelling 
house ; and, of course, not by immersion. 

2. The case of the jailer and his family, Acts xvi, who 
took conviction from the circumstance of the miraculous 
interposition of God in the deliverance of Paul and Silas, 
whom he had in custody as prisoners. He "brought them 
out," that is, of "the inner prison," and inquired what he 
should do to be saved ? They instructed him. He washed 
their stripes ; and they baptized him, and all his, straight- 
way. After which he took them into his own house, and 
entertained them, not as prisoners, but as ministers. Now, 



262 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. [sER. XXV. 

if the apostles had to grope off at midnight, out of the city, 
and into the country, to hunt a river, creek, or pond, to 
baptize this family in, is it not strange that nothing is said 
on the subject? To make immersion out of such a case as 
this, requires a degree of skill in logic to which none have 
yet attained. 

3. The case of the Gentiles, Acts x. Cornelius "had 
called together his kinsmen and friends ; and as Peter was 
coming in," that is, into the house to preach to them, 
"Cornelius met him" at the door. Peter preached, and 
the Holy Ghost fell on the people. " Then answered 
Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be 
baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as 
we ? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name 
of the Lord." Now, though Peter called for objections, 
and though he administered the ordinance in the house 
of Cornelius, yet none was made. No one was heard to 
say, this sprinkling will not answer, you must go to a river 
and immerse them. Ah, Peter, it was well for thee thou 
didst not live to see thy administration disproved by modern 
apostles ! 

4. The three thousand on the day of Pentecost. Let us 
take a brief view of the circumstances. The meeting of the 
disciples was at "the third hour of the day," or nine 
o'clock. After the Holy Ghost fell on them, and they 
commenced rejoicing, it took sometime for the crowd to 
collect, who looked on sometime longer before Peter com- 
menced his memorable sermon. This produced a second 
excitement more general than the first, and not until after 
this excitement subsided, could they have attended to any 
regular Church business ; yet on that day they received 
and baptized three thousand souls, although it must have 
been in the after part of the day before they commenced 
this business. Now, suppose, the apostles to have pro- 
ceeded on the same system as our immersers, namely, in 



SER. XXV.] THE MODE OF BAPTISM. 263 

every case to hear a circumstantial relation of the candi- 
date's conversion, then take the voice of the Church upon 
it; and after passing through three thousand cases in this 
way, repair to some river, mill-pond, or creek, and hear a 
long harangue by one of the brethren, about going down 
into the water, and coming up out of the water; and, final- 
ly, to close the scene, suppose each of the apostles to take 
one at a time, repeat the ceremony, turn the subject's face 
towards the heavens, lay him horizontally under the water, 
then raise him up and send him out to receive the greetings 
of his brethren, what time, think ye, would they have got 
through ? The above four cases are all against immersion, 
as being the apostolic mode of baptism ; by fair, and some- 
times irresistible conclusions, they show its fallacy. But, 

5. We will attend now to some arguments more directly 
in favor of sprinkling; and, (1.) AVhen Isaiah said of 
Christ, Hi, 15, "So shall he sprinkle many nations," he 
spake prophetically; and what was the fulfillment of this 
prophecy? Answer, the execution of the commission 
which Christ gave his disciples to " teach all nations, bap- 
tizing them," &c. ; but if so, then what the prophet calls 
sprinkle, our Savior calls baptizing. (2.) "And having an 
high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with 
a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts 
sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed 
with pure water," Hebrew x, 22. Here the influences 
of grace upon the heart are called sprinkling, of which the 
washing or baptism of the body is an outward sign, and 
consequently should be applied by sprinkling. It is object- 
ed by Mr. Campbell, "Was there ever such an emblem! 
the thing signified precedes the emblem !" Answer, if this 
objection be well founded, how is immersion an emblem 
of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ? Do not 
the things signified precede the emblem eighteen hundred 
years? It is a poor rule which will not work both ways. 



264 THE MODE OF BAPTISM. [sER. XXV. 

(3.) " There are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, 
and the water, and the blood," 1 John v, 8. Here we 
have the Spirit's influence, baptism, and the eucharist. 
Now as the eucharist represents the blood of Christ, and 
baptism represents the Spirit's influence, both of which are 
spoken of under the figure of sprinkling 1 , and these three 
agree in one, it follows that baptism must be by sprinkling 
also. (4.) In 1 Corinthians x, 1,2, Paul says, our fathers 
" were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud, and in the 
sea." Were they up amidst the cloud? No; for they 
remained on the earth. Were they covered with the sea? 
No ; for they walked " on dry ground." How then ? The 
cloud sprinkled them ; and this Paul called baptism. On that 
occasion there were perhaps more than one million of per- 
sons, including men, women and children, every one of whom 
was baptized, but not one of them immersed. However, 
there were some others immersed very shortly afterwards, 
namely, Pharaoh and his host, who went down to destruc- 
tion together. These were indeed immersed, when they 
sank in the Dead Sea, but not baptized that we read of. 

6. It is easy to prove that pouring is called baptism. 
When the disciples felt the descent of the Holy Ghost at 
Pentecost, Peter pronounced it to be the fulfillment of Joel's 
prophecy, viz., "I will pour out of my Spirit upon all 
flesh." And in Acts, chapter 1 and verse 5, Christ, who 
showed himself alive after his passion, said to his disciples 
in reference to the same thing, "For John truly baptized 
with water ; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost 
not many days hence." Put these together, and you have 
certain proof that what Joel and Peter called pouring, 
Christ called baptism. And if people are baptized with the 
Spirit by pouring, may they not be baptized with water in 
the same way ? These are a few among the many authori- 
ties for baptism by affusion. 

7. It has been recently taught that immersion is regenera- 






SER. XXV.] THE MODE OF BAPTISM. 265 

tion. Mr. Campbell says it is "so significant, and so ex- 
pressive, that when the baptized believer rises out of the 
water, is born of water, enters the world a second time, he 
enters it as innocent, as clean, as unspotted as an angel." 
So did not Peter think when he said, that baptism is "not 
the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answering 
of a good conscience towards God." If the above doctrine 
be true, then all who are not immersed, are unregenerated 
and must be lost; not only the heathens, but all the Chris- 
tian world, (except the few immersed,) being only un- 
baptized heathens, are going to perdition. This is the 
subject of our unbelief. We are opposed, not so much to 
immersion, as'to that sort of bigotry, which says, you shall 
receive the ordinance of baptism in this way, or you shall 
not receive it at all. Surely, if immersion was so essential 
to our salvation, the word immersion would be found some- 
where in the sacred Scriptures, and not be confined wholly 
to Mr. C.'s spurious version. And if to baptize by sprink- 
ling or pouring was a perversion of the ordinance, the 
sacred writers would not have said so much in its favor; 
nor would the Lord so signally bless the labors of those 
employed in perpetuating that perversion. Yet nothing but 
" all under" will do for some people. Be it so, if they wish. 
We can make out very well without so much bathing. 
The baptism of the Spirit is the most important. There is 
"one baptism" for all true believers, whose privilege it is 
to be "baptized into one Spirit." Give us this, and we 
are content. 

On a review of our subject, it will be recollected that we 
have declined any attention to history, tradition, dreams, or 
impressions ; confining ourselves to the sacred Scriptures 
as closely as possible, we have noticed, 

I. The arguments for exclusive immersion, and found 
that neither, 

1 . The definition of the word baptize ; 
23 



266 peter's second conversion, [ser. xxvi. 

2. The baptism of Christ ; 

3. The baptism of the eunuch ; 

4. The doctrinal allusions to the action of baptism ; nor, 

5. The places where the ordinance was administered, 
afford any proof of the doctrine. But on the contrary, 
we found, 

II. The arguments against that system, and in favor 
of affusion to be many and strong, viz., against immersion, 

1. The baptism of Paul in Damascus, and in the house 
of Judas. 

2. The baptism of the jailer and family on his own 
premises. 

3. The baptism of the Gentiles in the house of Cor- 
nelius. 

4. The baptism of three thousand at Pentecost in a few 
hours ; and more directly in favor of affusion, 

5. That what Isaiah called sprinkle, Christ called bap- 
tize. The doctrinal reference to baptism in Hebrews and 
1 John v, 8, and the baptism of more than one million at 
once by sprinkling, 1 Corinthians x, 1,2. 

6. That Christ called pouring baptism in the 1st chapter 
of Acts ; and, 

7. That immersion is not regeneration, nor in any wise 
essential to salvation. 

May God save all, whether sprinkled or plunged ! Amen. 



SERMON XXVI. 

peter's second conversion. 

"And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren,'' Luke 
xxii, 32. 

The notion of some people, that Peter was indued with 

official pre-eminence over the other apostles, we believe, is 

without any authority from the sacred Scriptures. Still his 

is a case of much interest. Called at an early period of our 



ser. xxvi.] peter's second conversion. 267 

Lord's ministry, Peter left all to follow Christ, and became 
a traveling preacher of the married class, and was zealously 
affected in the great cause of his Lord and Master, who 
admitted him among his personal, confidential friends at the 
mount of transfiguration, and at the garden of Gethsemane ; 
and though he once fell by transgression, he afterward 
recovered by grace, and subsequently led a life of toil, 
sacrifice, suffering and usefulness, and finally, as is general- 
ly believed, obtained a martyr's crown. There appears to 
be something more than tradition to sustain the belief of 
Peter's crucifixion. Our Lord said to him, " Verily, verily, 
I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thy- 
self, and walkedst whither thou wouldest : but when thou 
shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another 
shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 
This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify 
God." The death by which he should glorify God, was 
that of crucifixion, indicated by the stretching forth of his 
hands. Inasmuch then as Peter was not only a disciple of 
Christ, and an apostle, but finally became a martyr, what- 
ever is recorded of him by the inspired writers, must be 
deeply interesting to every pious and intelligent Christian. 
The words of our text refer to an important period of his 
history, and one full of useful instruction to us all, namely, 
his apostasy and restoration, which will more fully appear 
as we progress in our discourse. We propose to speak, 

I. Of Peter's religious state prior to the arraignment and 
trial of Christ. 

II. Of the fall he experienced during that arraignment 
and trial. 

III. Of his restoration to the divine favor. 

IV. Of his subsequent usefulness. 

I. The religious state of Peter for sometime before and 
at the time our Savior addressed him in the language of the 
text, was that of gracious acceptance, of divine favor — his 



268 peter's second conversion. [ser. xxvi. 

sins were pardoned, and he was converted ; if not precisely 
as men are converted now, still he was converted in a suf- 
ficient sense, according to the day of grace afforded him. 
In support of this position, we shall avail ourselves of 
several plain Scriptural arguments, such as are, at least, 
satisfactory to our own mind. 

Peter was a member of the visible Church, and a promi- 
nent disciple of Jesus, who said to his apostles, and to 
Peter among the rest, "If ye were of the world, the world 
would love his own ; but because ye are not of the world, 
but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world 
hateth you." This verse, with the entire- 15th chapter 
of John, from which it is taken, expresses the love of 
Christ to his disciples in such a manner, that their claims 
to saving grace cannot well be misunderstood. 

Again, Peter was admitted to the sacrament of the Lord's 
supper the first time it was administered. No one, who 
carefully reads the 26th chapter of Matthew's Gospel, will 
deny this; for it is not only said, that Christ "sat down 
with the twelve," and gave the consecrated bread and cup 
to them, (except Judas, whom he accused and expelled,) 
but Peter is named as being present on the occasion. 
When Jesus said, "All ye shall be offended because of me 
this night," then "Peter answered and said unto him, 
Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will 
I never be offended." 

We have named these two points in Peter's religious 
history, not because they are conclusive to our own mind, 
when considered apart from his whole history, that he was 
a converted man, but because they must be so to some 
others, according to their own showing. We believe a 
true penitent may be admitted into the Church, to the 
sacraments and all the means of grace on Gospel princi- 
ples, before he obtains any evidence of his acceptance with 
God; but you know there are very many excellent Chris- 



ser. xxvi.] peter's second conversion. 269 

tians in several "evangelical Churches" so called, who 
think no one can be properly received into the Church, or 
at the Lord's table, without evidence of a saving change. 
Of course they must admit Peter was converted, because 
Christ received him into the Church himself, and gave him 
the sacrament of the Lord's supper out of his own hand. 

Another evidence that Peter was a changed man, is 
derived from the fact that our Lord had put him into the 
ministry. This is to our mind much more conclusive than 
the argument drawn from his position in the Church and at 
the sacramental table. The ministry of the Gospel is not a 
mere human profession, which a man may choose or refuse 
with impunity, as he does that of law or medicine ; God 
calls certain men to this work, appoints and sends them 
out, and whoever assumes the ministerial character without 
this commission, is an intruder into the sacred office, and 
guilty of the sin of presumption ; and to suppose that God 
appoints any one to do this work before he is converted, is 
to suppose he sends the blind to lead the blind, that both 
may fall into the ditch. His plan is to convert men before 
he sends them out to convert others ; consequently, Peter's 
call to the work of an apostle, is conclusive evidence of his 
conversion ; and though he was not previously educated for 
the ministry, he was thoroughly educated in the ministry, 
which was far better. How this call was made known to 
Peter in the first instance may be gathered from these 
words: "And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw 
two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, 
casting a net into the sea ; for they were fishers. And he 
saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers 
of men. And they straightway left their nets, and fol- 
lowed him." 

Beside all this, Peter had faith, and it was genuine faith 
too; for Christ said to him, "I have prayed for thee, that 
thy faith fail not." Now, to say, that Peter's faith was 
23* 



270 peter's second conversion. [ser. xxvi. 

not the true saving faith, and that he was deceived as to his 
state of salvation, is virtually to say, Christ, who knows 
the hearts of all men, prayed that his false faith might con- 
tinue, and that he might be confirmed in his delusion, 
which would be absurd, not to say blasphemous. But not 
so, our Savior said immediately preceding the text, " Ye 
are they which have continued with me in my temptations ; 
and I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath 
appointed unto me ; that ye may eat and drink at my table 
in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve 
tribes of Israel." If any one still doubts whether Peter 
had saving faith, let him hear the testimony recorded by 
Matthew in these words: "Then answered Peter, and 
said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed 
thee ; what shall we have therefore ? And Jesus said unto 
them, Verily, I say unto you, That ye which have fol- 
lowed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall 
sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve 
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every 
one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or 
father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my 
name's sake, shall receive a hundred-fold, and shall inherit 
everlasting life." 

II. We shall next notice the fall which Peter expe- 
rienced. 

Of this fall, Jesus gave him a most solemn and faithful 
warning in these words: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan 
hath desired to have thee, that he may sift thee as wheat: 
but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." Yet 
he saw that Peter, through rashness and self-confidence, 
would involve himself, and then by the fear of man would 
be ensnared, and finally would so far forget himself as to 
deny his Lord ; he also saw that Peter would recover by 
grace, and said to him, "When thou art converted, 
strengthen thy brethren ;" or when thou art returned from 



ser. xxvi.] peter's second conversion. 271 

thy flight, and restored from apostasy to the divine favor, 
encourage and build up my tempted disciples. Peter was 
very much surprised at this prophetic warning of his Mas- 
ter. "And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with 
thee, both into prison, and to death." The meaning of 
Peter here appears to be this : Lord, why shouldest thou 
suspect me of proving unfaithful? If thy enemies this 
night should cause thee to be arrested and sent to prison, 
I am ready to go with thee; or if they should resort 
to violence and kill thee, I am ready to die with thee, 
rather than betray confidence, or prove ungrateful. Now, 
in this profession he was doubtless quite sincere, but soon 
after forgot where his strength lay, and became too self- 
confident, as will appear in the sequel. Jesus then told 
him plainly the part he would act in the trying hour which 
was coming upon him and his disciples. "And he said, 
I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before 
that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me." Per- 
haps Peter was grieved to hear this, and doubted the cor- 
rectness of the statement; yet it all came to pass in due 
time, and in a very singular manner. 

The first thing we hear amiss of Peter after this, was, 
being found asleep during the Savior's agony in the garden, 
when he was specially required to watch and pray — like 
some stupid souls in Church, indifferent to the terrible 
conflict now in progress between light and darkness. 
Awake! awake! "what meanest thou, O sleeper." The 
next suspicious circumstance in Peter's conduct, was, the 
resort to improper means of defense when attacked by the 
persecuting enemy. After Jesus had been in an agony, 
and prayed more earnestly, he returned to his disciples the 
third time, and said to them, "Sleep on now, and take 
your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold the Son 
of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let 
US go: lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand." This is evi- 



272 peter's second conversion. [ser. xxvi. 

dently the language of reproof, intended to show the 
disciples it was then too late to trouble themselves with 
watching and prayer. Peter, partially roused by this 
reproof, and startled yet more by the immediate assault 
of the enemy, drew his sword, rushed forward, and began 
to cut his way through the thickest ranks of the enemy, 
and actually smote off the ear of Malchus, the high priest's 
servant; "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy 
sword into his place : for all they that take the sword, shall 
perish with the sword." 

When Jesus was arrested, or rather when he voluntarily 
surrendered himself into the hands of his enemies, the dis- 
ciples " all forsook him and fled," and the next we hear is, 
"And Peter followed him afar off," already partially back- 
slidden, and his fervent love very much abated — like many 
in the Church, who have a name to live, but are well nigh 
dead. Their names stand on the Church book, but when 
their leader calls them in class meeting, he gets no 
response ; the brethren meet to pray, but they are absent ; 
they may attend Church occasionally on the Sabbath, but 
it is to little purpose ; for during the most interesting revi- 
vals, they stand off as idle spectators. 

When Peter arrived at the house of Caiaphas, where 
Jesus was undergoing his examination before "all the chief 
priests, and the elders and the scribes," who sought false 
witnesses to condemn him, he, instead of standing up by 
the side of his Master, ready to assert his innocence, went 
over to the enemy, as set forth in these words: "And 
when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and 
were set down together, Peter sat down among them." 
Professors of religion may go among the people of the 
world to transact lawful business, or to impart religious 
instruction, and return unhurt ; but when they deliberately 
leave their brethren to associate with the enemies of Christ, 
they afford sad proof that their hearts are estranged from him. 



ser. xxvi.] peter's second conversion. 273 

Now, after all this, it will not appear quite so strange 
that Peter finally denied his Lord altogether. The fullest 
and clearest account of this transaction is given by Mat- 
thew. " Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a dam- 
sel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of 
Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know 
not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into 
the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that 
were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 
And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 
And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and 
said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of -them; for thy 
speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to 
swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the 
cock crew." Was not this conduct of Peter most aston- 
ishing? His first denial was a willful departure from 
truth ; the second denial was a repetition of the falsehood, 
confirmed by an oath ; and in the third denial he reiterates 
the same falsehood and perjury, with cursing and swearing. 
O Peter, how art thou fallen in the brief period of a few 
hours ! In the evening he occupied the dignified position 
of a holy apostle, and before day he ranks among the pro- 
fane and blasphemous enemies of Christ. Had he died in 
the evening, when he was united to Jesus by a saving faith, 
and was ready to go with him to prison and death, he 
would have gone to paradise as swiftly as winged angels 
could have borne him ; but had he died the next morning 
before day, while denying his Lord with falsehood, perjury, 
and cursing, he would have descended into a deep, dark, 
and endless hell as rapidly as relentless devils could have 
dragged him. If the narrative ended here, it would be an 
awful one indeed ; but it is our happy privilege to speak, 

III. Of Peter's restoration to the divine favor. 

This restoration was brought about by means no less 
remarkable than those of his fall. The crowing of the 



274 peter's second conversion. [ser. xxvi. 

cock was of itself insignificant and unimportant ; but viewed 
in connection with the Savior's prediction, and all the chain 
of concurrent events then surrounding Peter, it was well 
calculated to wake up reflection in his mind, and set a thou- 
sand thoughts in motion. So powerful was the impression 
made on Peter's mind by this predicted signal, that he 
probably looked up almost involuntarily toward his injured 
Master; " And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter." 
O what a look was that ! No angry word was spoken, no 
harsh reproof was administered, no scowl was expressed in 
the countenance of Jesus, but he gave Peter a look of intel- 
ligence that flashed the light of conviction to his con- 
science — a look of melting pity which broke his obdurate 
heart; "and Peter went out, and wept bitterly." No 
doubt he then experienced the truth of the declaration, 
" The last state of that man is worse than the first." The 
sin of apostasy being committed against increased light, is 
followed by conviction more pungent than that of sin com- 
mitted " ignorantly in unbelief." Hence, Peter drank the 
cup of bitterness to the very dregs, attended probably with 
a fear of rejection and destruction, bordering on despair. 

There is no good reason to suppose that Peter found 
much relief, till after Christ rose from the dead. What must 
have been his feelings when his crucified Master laid cold 
in death, and he remembered his own conduct as con- 
tributing, indirectly, to that result, and was without the op- 
portunity of seeking personal reconciliation? However, on 
the third morning he learned from the female disciples that 
Jesus was alive again, and that the angel which gave them 
the information had sent this message by them: "Tell his 
disciples, and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee ; 
there shall ye see him, as he said unto you." The fact 
of Peter's being here singled out by name, was evidence he 
was not forgotten by the Savior, and must have acted as a 
reviving cordial on his wounded and disconsolate heart. 






ser. xxvi.] peter's second conversion. 275 

The next news is, "The Lord is risen indeed, and hath 
appeared to Simon." Subsequently, he stood in the midst 
of the disciples, and showed unto them his hands and his 
side. "Then were the disciples glad when they saw the 
Lord;" for he said, " Peace be unto you." And no doubt 
these visions and salutations were specially grateful to 
unfortunate Peter, as it is more than probable he saw the 
Lord not only with his material eyes, but saw him by faith 
reconciled to his soul, and heard him say to himself espe- 
cially, "Peace be unto you." 

The sincerity of Peter's repentance was shortly after- 
ward tested at the sea of Tiberias. During the interval 
between the resurrection and ascension of Christ, the dis- 
ciples, while waiting for the day of Pentecost, partially 
returned to their former temporal employments as means 
of support. Several of them who had been fishers, went 
down to the Tiberias fishery, where "Simon Peter saith 
unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also 
go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship 
immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But 
when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the 
shore ; but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then 
Jesus said unto them, Children, have ye any meat ? They 
answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net 
on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast 
therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the 
multitude of fishes." Immediately after this happy change 
in their prospect of success, John discovered who it was 
that stood on the shore talking with them, and "said unto 
Peter, It is the Lord," which so excited Peter that he 
leaped into the sea, and made haste to Jesus ; the others 
soon followed in a little ship, and when all had arrived, and 
the net was secured with the fishes it contained, "Jesus 
said unto them, Come and dine," which they did accord- 
ingly. "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon 



276 peter's second conversion, [ser. xxvi. 

Peter, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than 
these ? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord : thou knowest that 
I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He 
saith to him again the second time, Simon son of Jonas, 
lovest thou me ? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord : thou 
knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my 
sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon son of 
Jonas, lovest thou me ? Peter was grieved because he said 
unto him the third time, Lovest thou me ? And he said 
unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things ; thou knowest 
that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." 

Several things here named are worthy of special remark. 
Why did Jesus ask Simon Peter the question, "Lovest 
thou me more than these?" that is, more than the other 
disciples loved him. Peter had said unto him, "Though 
all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never 
be offended." As if he had said, John and James, and 
Andrew and Philip, and all the rest, may take offense, fly 
from or deny thee, yet will not I. Whereas, he was the 
first to fall away and deny his Lord; and now Jesus, by 
this question, "Lovest thou me more than these?" brings 
home his sin to his conscience, and humbles him in the 
dust under a sense of his weakness and unworthiness, but 
without passing any direct censure upon him, as he had 
repented. Again, why did Jesus thrice put the question to 
Peter, "Lovest thou me?" The reason was, Peter had 
thrice denied his Lord, and it was meet he should thrice 
recant his error, and as often renew his profession of love ; 
and what is no less remarkable, as often as Peter renewed 
his profession of love, Jesus renewed his forfeited commis- 
sion, " Feed my lambs," or "Feed my sheep." Well, it 
was enough, the breach was healed, and Peter was restored 
to the favor of God, and the confidence of his brethren, and 
began then to understand our text, " When thou art con- 
verted, strengthen thy brethren." 



ser. xxvi.] peter's second conversion. 277 

IV. We shall now speak of Peter's subsequent use- 
fulness. 

At this point in Peter's history, it is probable he may 
have reasoned on this wise : " I know that I have fallen in 
a most shameful manner, and am equally sure that I have 
repented, and am restored to the divine favor ; but how can 
the Lord condescend again to employ such an unfaithful 
and unworthy servant as I have been as an instrument to 
save souls?" That the Lord had called him to the work 
of the ministry before his fall he had no reason to doubt, 
but he knew his commission had been forfeited, and was 
slow of heart to believe it was renewed again. His fear, 
however, was soon after removed, by the extraordinary 
success which attended his ministry. At the meeting on 
the day of Pentecost, where Peter was the chief speaker, 
three thousand souls were added to the Church, which, 
with the hundred and twenty previously united in Chris- 
tian and Church fellowship, made thirty-one hundred and 
twenty; and on another occasion shortly afterward where 
Peter was again the most prominent instrument, eighteen 
hundred and eighty more were awakened and brought 
under gracious influence, so that "many of them which 
heard the word believed ; and the number of the men was 
about five thousand" — that is, as we understand it, the 
whole number of Christian believers at that time amounted 
to five thousand. On both these occasions, therefore, Peter 
strengthened his brethren in the faith of Christ. 

The same effect was produced on the minds of his breth- 
ren by the miracles which he wrought, to a few examples 
of which we will now refer. We have heretofore re- 
marked that Peter was an itinerant preacher. In the 
course of his travels he went down to Lydda, in the tribe 
of Ephraim, between Jerusalem and Cesarea, and miracu- 
lously healed an afflicted man, who had been long and well 
known to his neighbors, which produced a general refor- 

24 



278 peter's second conversion, [ser. xxvi. 

mation among them. "And it came to pass, as Peter 
passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the 
saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there he found a cer- 
tain man named Eneas, which had kept his bed eight years, 
and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, 
Eneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole : arise, and make 
thy bed. And , he arose immediately. And all that dwelt 
in Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord." 

Immediately after the above named occurrence, the dis- 
ciples at Joppa, a prominent sea-port on the Mediterranean, 
sent for Peter to go there on the occasion of the much 
lamented death of a young woman of their society. Her 
name was Tabitha, which by interpretation was called 
Dorcas, and she had abounded in charity and good works. 
When Peter arrived, he found her laid out in her grave 
clothes ready for interment; "and all the widows stood 
by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments 
which Dorcas made while she was with them." These 
were garments which she had made with her own hands 
and given to the suffering poor, especially the widows, in 
her life time. The death of such a benefactress was a real 
loss, and no marvel that the poor stood round weeping. 
"But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and 
prayed ; and turning him to the body, said, Tabitha, arise. 
And she opened her eyes : and when she saw Peter, she 
sat up. And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up ; and 
when he had called the saints and widows, he presented 
her alive. And it was known throughout all Joppa : and 
many believed in the Lord." Thus, it appears, that on 
both of these occasions, Peter greatly strengthened his 
brethren. 

After this, Peter, perhaps much worn down with toil, 
turned in with brother Simon a tanner, living on the sea 
shore at Joppa, to rest a few days. On fast day, about 
noon, while Peter was on the house-top, or in the upper 



ser. xxvi.] peter's second conversion. 279 

part of the building praying, he became hungry and would 
have eaten, "But while they made ready, he fell into a 
trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel de- 
scending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the 
four corners, and let down to the earth: wherein were all 
manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, 
and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came 
a voice to him, Rise, Peter ; kill, and eat. But Peter said, 
Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is 
common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again 
the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not 
thou common. This was done thrice : and the vessel was 
received up again into heaven." 

The day before, Cornelius, a devout Gentile at Cesarea, 
had a vision also, in which he was directed by an angel to 
send for Peter to go over and tell what he ought to do ; and 
while Peter was meditating on his own wonderful vision, 
the messengers from Cornelius arrived and stood before the 
gate inquiring for him. Next day, accompanied by a few 
brethren, he went with the messengers to Cesarea, and 
found Cornelius and a congregation of his kinsmen and 
friends waiting for him. After hearing from Cornelius an 
explanation of the reason he had for sending after him, 
Peter saw clearly the meaning of his own vision. Before 
that, he had been troubled with limited notions of predesti- 
nation, supposing the blessings of the Gospel were exclu- 
sively for the Jews ; but God made a special revelation to 
convince him of his mistake, and show him that he was to 
preach free grace to every soul. "Then Peter opened his 
mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no 
respecter of persons : but in every nation, he that feareth 
him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." 
The result proved that the reason of sending for Peter was 
a good one. "While Peter yet spake these words, the 
Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And 



280 peter's second conversion, [ser. xxvi. 

they of the circumcision which believed, were astonished, 
as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles 
also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost." After 
preaching, Peter proceeded immediately to baptize the 
Gentile converts in the house of Cornelius; and by the 
glorious success of his ministry on that occasion, though 
his going to the Gentiles raised persecution against him at 
Jerusalem, greatly strengthened his brethren in the end; 
for when they objected that he went "to uncircumcised 
men," he rehearsed the whole matter; and "when they 
heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified 
God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted 
repentance unto life." 

We beg indulgence, while we refer to one more incident 
in the life of this eminent apostle. Great persecution arose. 
Herod put James to death, and arrested Peter and had him 
ironed and imprisoned, intending to have him executed 
on a popular occasion after Easter, "but prayer was made 
without ceasing of the Church unto God for him." No 
doubt fear was entertained on the part of Herod of his 
escape, which he took much pains to prevent. The last 
night before the appointed day for his execution, "Peter 
was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains," 
in the dungeon, the door no doubt locked and barred, while 
armed men outside, "keepers before the door kept the 
prison." Thus doubly secured, the hope of deliverance 
could scarcely be entertained. However, a special prayer 
meeting was held that night at the house of Mary, the 
mother of John, for Peter's benefit, where the brethren 
could supplicate for him supporting, if not delivering grace. 
The thought of his being murdered next day was truly 
distressing — the occasion of the prayer meeting was a 
moving one, and the spirit of agonizing prayer drove sleep 
far from them. They prayed till a late hour, when God 
sent his angel, who passed the outward guards without fear, 



ser. xx\i.] peter's second conversion. 281 

opened the doors with ease, entered the prison and made it 
light as day, touched Peter and said, "Rise up quickly; 
and his chains fell off." After Peter had bound on his 
sandals, the angel said, "Cast thy garment about thee, and 
follow me." When they had passed all obstructions and 
dangers, the angel departed from him, and Peter knew that 
he was delivered out of the hands of his enemies, and was 
free. Did he flee like a criminal escaping from justice? 
No; he went straight to the house of sister Mary to join 
the prayer meeting and rejoice with his brethren. When 
" Peter knocked at the door of the gate," the maid came, 
but when she knew his voice, she opened not for gladness, 
but ran back and told them Peter had come. "And they 
said unto her, Thou art mad." They thought the idea 
of his deliverance from all those chains and soldiers incredi- 
ble. She reaffirmed the fact of his being at the gate. 
"Then said they, It is his angel" — they may have killed 
him, and his spirit may be here, but his body cannot ; or it 
may be his guardian angel, but he alive? it cannot be. 
"But Peter continued knocking. And when they had 
opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished" to 
see the old soldier of the cross alive and unscathed by his 
enemies, and began to rejoice. "But he beckoning unto 
them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them 
how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. **■■■* 
And he departed, and went into another place." So 
miraculous was Peter's deliverance, that the soldiers knew 
nothing of it till next morning. "Now as soon as it was 
day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was 
become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him, 
and found him not, he examined the keepers, and com- 
manded that they should be put to death." This deliver- 
ance of Peter powerfully strengthened his brethren. 

In conclusion, it may be properly inferred from the 
whole subject before us, that the ministers of Christ 
24* 



282 peter's second conversion, [ser. xxvi. 

should warn the righteous, as well as the wicked. This 
is our state of trial, and in it we are exposed to many 
dangers. No wise man will trust in his own heart or 
in his own strength, but in Christ. " By faith ye 
stand." When we let go our hold of faith on Jesus, 
our strength to resist temptation is gone, and we fall an 
easy prey to the enemy of souls. "Let him that think- 
eth he standeth, take heed lest he fall." We mean the 
preachers as well as priviate Christians; for they are as 
liable to temptation as others. We too should keep our 
bodies under and bring them into subjection as Paul did, 
lest having preached to others, we ourselves should by any 
means be cast-aways. Peter fell, and so may any of us. 
Some people are very much surprised to hear of the fall 
of a minister, but why should they be more surprised at 
the fall of a minister than that of a private member? 
Preachers are flesh and blood like other men, with this 
disadvantage, however, they have more to contend with 
than others ; for Satan would rather secure the fall of one 
preacher than many private Christians, because faithful 
ministers are the most successful opposers of his works 
among men ; consequently, Satan hurls his most fiery darts 
at God's faithful messengers : still they are perfectly safe 
so long as they continue to watch and pray and humbly 
trust in Christ. He that is for us is greater than all that 
can be against us, and says to us, "Lo, I am with you 
always, even unto the end of the world." 

Finally, there is, in the case of Peter, much to encourage 
every backslider in heart and in conduct, whether preacher 
or member, to repent and do his first works. May the 
Lord in mercy look upon all such ! May they go out and 
weep bitterly as Peter did, and may the Lord reinstate 
them in his favor, and restore unto them the joy of his 
salvation ! "And when thou art converted, strengthen thy 
brethren." 



SER. XXVII.] KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. 283 



SERMON XXVII. 

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, AND THE MEANS 
OF EXTENDING IT. 

"Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased," 
Daniel xii, 4. 

Whatever reference the text may have to past events, 
we believe, with Benson and other commentators, that its 
more important application is to Gospel times — to the 
present dispensation. " The lines have fallen to us in 
pleasant places." We live in a day to which God's ancient 
worthies looked with intense interest, such as we now feel 
in reference to the latter days' glory of the Christian 
Church. This view of the subject is authorized by our 
Savior's words to his disciples: "But blessed are your 
eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For, 
verily, I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous 
men have desired to see those things which ye see, and 
have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye 
hear, and have not heard them." We purpose to speak, 

I. Of the knowledge of God. 

II. The means of extending that knowledge. 

I. The word knowledge, according to Walker, means 
"certain perception; learning; illumination of the mind; 
skill in any thing; acquaintance with any fact or person," 
&c. An ancient writer says, "Knowledge is power." 
Hence the importance of knowledge to Christians in 
general, and Christian ministers especially. Knowledge 
gives to any man, who possesses it, influence in society for 
good or evil, according to the proper or improper use he 
makes of it. And it is wonderful to observe what an 
amount of knowledge one man may acquire in the course 
of a short life time, by regular and persevering application. 
But after all, the knowledge of man is limited, because his 
faculties are limited ; and when he shall have attained all 



284 KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. [SER. XXVII. 

the knowledge of which he is capable, he will still have 
occasion to admit the truth of what Moses said to all Israel. 
"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but 
those things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our 
children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." 
The knowledge spoken of in the text, is that of sacred 
things, or as the apostle calls it, "the knowledge of the 
truth," where he unquestionably means saving truth, be- 
cause he was exhorting believers to pray for all men, for 
the reason, that God our Savior " will have all men to be 
saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth." This 
truth, of which we are to seek the knowledge, consists of 
two parts ; first, the doctrines of the Gospel. These we 
should seek to know, by reading and studying the Bible 
with prayerful attention, instructive conversation, preach- 
ing, and consulting good authors with much close reflec- 
tion ; and, especially, the doctrines most essential to salva- 
tion, such as the fall and redemption of man, justification 
by faith, the witness of the Spirit, holiness, and future 
accountability. The knowledge of these and kindred doc- 
trines is important to the well-being of man, and the more 
generally they are understood, believed, and practiced, the 
better will be the condition of society. Therefore, they 
who would withhold the Bible, or any other means of use- 
ful instruction from the people, are enemies to the best 
interest of mankind. Secondly. The knowledge of the 
truth comprehends experience, the knowledge of God in 
the remission of sin, which we understand to be the priv- 
ilege of every true believer in Christ. It must be so from 
the very nature of the subject. The first part of the work 
of grace in the heart is conviction, or a sense of condem- 
nation before God as sinners, which no man can feel with- 
out knowing he feels it. The next is repentance, or godly 
sorrow for sin ; but can a man feel sorrow for sin, and not 
know that he feels it ? Then comes pardon through faith 



SER. XXVII.] KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. 285 

in Christ, by which our relation to God is changed, and 
we are relieved from condemnation and misery; but can 
any one be relieved from his guilt and distress of mind, and 
not know that he is relieved? Connected with this in 
point of time, but distinct in point of fact, is regeneration 
by the Holy Spirit, " Therefore, if any man be in Christ, 
he is a new creature : old things are passed away ; behold, 
all things are become new." Now, can a man be regene- 
rated, created anew in Christ Jesus, and not know it? 
Certainly not. Again, the fruits of this change, which 
immediately follow, are peace, joy, love, obedience, and 
freedom, or power over sin. Now, it is absurd to suppose 
any one can feel peace with God, joy in the Holy Ghost, 
the love of God shed abroad in his heart, the spirit of 
obedience, &c, and not know that he feels them. As well 
might we suppose that a man could be suddenly relieved 
from severe pain of body and entire prostration and the pros- 
pect of immediate death, and restored to perfect health and 
strength, with a grateful heart for his recovery, and yet be 
unconscious of the whole, as suppose a sinner could be 
converted, and not know it. We say, therefore, that 
experimental religion, from the very nature of it, must 
necessarily be a subject of knowledge. 

Farther: that it is the privilege of true Christians to know 
their acceptance with God, is drawn from direct Scripture 
testimony. When Jesus spake to his disciples of the 
Comforter, the Holy Spirit, that was to be sent after his 
departure, and was to abide with them for ever, he said, 
" At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and 
ye in me, and I in you." Now, can we know that we are 
in Christ, and Christ in us, and yet not konw it? John 
says, "We know that we have passed from death unto 
life, because we love the brethren." How can we know 
we are spiritually alive, and yet be ignorant of that life? 
Again, Paul says, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with 



286 KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. [SER. XXVII. 

our spirit, that we are the children of God." When God's 
Spirit and our own spirit or conscience testify at once that we 
are his children, how can we be deceived? If an objector 
inquire, how can we know when we have the Spirit? We 
answer, by its fruit. Paul says, "But the fruit of the 
Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, good- 
ness, faith, meekness, temperance;" and if he then inquire 
how we know when we have this fruit, as peace, joy, love, 
<fcc, we would ask him how he knows when he is sick 
and when he is well, when he is hungry and when he is 
sufficed, when he is cold and warm ; how he knows that 
he loves one thing and dislikes another; and finally how 
he knows that he is alive and not dead ? If he say, these 
things are self-evident, and therefore admit of no higher 
proof, we reply, experimental religion is self-evident, its 
possessor knows that he has it, because he feels it; when 
he enjoys the witness of the Spirit, he is as conscious of 
spiritual, as he is of natural life. 

Again, all the figures employed by the inspired writers 
to illustrate experimental religion, warrant the conclusion, 
that it is a subject of knowledge. We beg leave to submit 
a few examples. Suppose you are confined, for a long time 
in a dark dungeon, and then brought out into open day- 
light and set at liberty, would you not be conscious of the 
change ? And when the sinner is brought out of the dark- 
ness, bondage, and misery of sin, into the light, liberty, 
and consolation of the Gospel ; or in Scripture language, 
delivered from the power of darkness, and translated into 
the kingdom of God's dear Son, in whom we have redemp- 
tion through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, does 
he not know it? Suppose a man fallen into a deep pit 
from which he cannot extricate himself, and after calling 
for help till he is exhausted, a friend brings a rope and 
windlass, draws him up, and places him on solid ground, 
would he not be conscious of his deliverance ? And so did 



SER. XXVII.] KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. 287 

David know, when the Lord brought him up also out of a 
horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set his feet upon a 
rock, and established his goings ; and put a new song in 
his mouth, even praise unto God. If we had a burden tied 
on our shoulders so that we could not escape from under it, 
and so heavy as to press us down to the earth, and some 
friend stronger than ourselves should cut the burden loose 
and let us go, we should certainly be conscious of our 
release; and does not the burdened soul know when he 
accepts the invitation, and tests the truth of the promise 
of Jesus, " Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy 
laden, and I will give you rest?" But lest we be tedious, 
we close our remarks on the first division of the subject, 
by repeating, the knowledge of the truth under con- 
sideration comprehends an acquaintance with the doctrines 
of the Gospel, and a personal knowledge of God in the 
remission of sins. We shall now notice, 

II. The means of extending that knowledge. 

The phrase, " many shall run to and fro," refers to these 
means. It is not to be understood as descriptive of a 
Church slumbering over a ruined world, nor yet of super- 
stitious pilgrimages to old Jerusalem, or to Rome, but of 
the most efficient missionary and other movements to 
spread the peaceful and blessed influence of pure religion 
over the face of the whole earth. 

We apprehend the chief of the means instituted to extend 
the knowledge of God, and that which gives direction and 
character to all the rest, is the Gospel ministry. It is true, 
there are means auxiliary to this, Avhich should be vigor- 
ously used, and universally encouraged. For example: 
We should encourage the publication and distribution of 
religious tracts, because thereby the light of truth is carried 
into many dark corners of the earth, where more expansive 
means have not yet found access. We should by all proper 
means encourage Sabbath schools, because there is now in 



288 KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. [sER. XXVII. 

them, under a course of training, an army of young 
soldiers of the cross, destined to spread desolation through 
all the kingdom of darkness, after we shall have gone the 
way of all the earth. Missions, both domestic and foreign, 
should be instituted and supported in earnest, because 
thereby " the poor have the Gospel preached to them," and 
the wilderness and the solitary places are made glad. 
Bible societies should be well sustained; for by them mil- 
lions of destitute souls are supplied with the word of life. 
But after all, these are but auxiliaries to the regular Chris- 
tian ministry, the grand moral lever which moves the 
world. On this, we presume, Daniel fixed his prophetic 
eye, when he said, " Many shall run to and fro, and knowl- 
edge shall be increased;" and on this ministry we wish 
now to submit a few remarks. 

The ministry which Christ instituted, and which is to be 
perpetuated to the end of the world, is a called and divinely 
authorized ministry. He who has no higher authority to 
act as a minister of the Gospel than his credentials signed 
by man, is not the ambassador of Christ. His ministers 
are appointed by himself, and their appointment is made 
known to them by the Holy Spirit moving them to the 
work, and blessing them therein. It is not necessary that 
a man, in order to know he is called of God to the work 
of the ministry, should see an angel, or outwardly hear a 
supernatural voice, saying, " Thou art commanded of God 
to preach;" and yet he may be made to feel as certainly 
that it is the will of God for him to engage in the work, as 
Paul did, when he said, "For though I preach the Gospel, 
I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me ; 
yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel!" No 
one would feel a woe upon him for not preaching, unless 
he was required to preach by more than man's authority. 
Nor was Paul's a solitary case. Mark informs us that 
Jesus went up into a mountain, and called unto him whom 



SER. XXVII.] KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. 289 

he would, that is, he drew them by a secret, heavenly 
influence, and they came unto him. "And he ordained 
twelve," or appointed them, "that they should be with 
him" as witnesses of his life, miracles, sufferings, death, 
and resurrection, "and that he might send them forth to 
preach." And what he did then, he does now ; only instead 
of speaking vocally to individuals, he speaks by the still 
voice of his Spirit to their hearts, and sends them forth to 
preach. Let no one confound this call to the ministry with 
a general impression of duty to do good, such as every 
consistent Christian feels ; nor yet with a special impression 
of duty to do certain other things. Many good men are 
moved to labor for the Lord in prayer and exhortation, 
who cannot preach, and consequently are not required to 
do it by him, though they may be licensed by their breth- 
ren. God calls no man to preach, but such as are or may 
be competent for that work. We must admit this, or 
acknowledge our inconsistency in supposing he requires 
impossibility. Still those who can preach usefully as soon 
as they are called to preach, will, if faithful, preach better 
when they have experience in the profession. But here 
we have not time to dwell. 

We next remark, on the ministry of Christ, that it is a 
traveling ministry. It is admitted, that individuals called 
to this work, may be detained for a season from entering 
fully upon it, and they may subsequently be hindered in it 
by circumstances over which they have no control; but all 
who are properly engaged in the Lord's vineyard, give 
their whole time and strength to the work, according to the 
division of it assigned them. We might add, some excel- 
lent ministers are called local for distinction's sake, because 
they are not for the time being in circumstances to engage 
more fully in the duties of their office, yet they are not 
local in the strict sense of the word ; do not confine their 
labor to one place, but preach here, there, and yonder, as 
25 



290 KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. [sER. XXVII. 

they are able. In regard to those who voluntarily engage 
to spend their life-time in one place, we leave them to settle 
the account with Him, who said, " Go ye into all the world, 
and preach the Gospel to every creature," and who enforced 
the execution of that commission by his own example. 
We would not speak of Jesus but with the most profound 
reverence, for we verily believe he was God manifested in 
the flesh ; and it is with such reverence, we say, he was 
himself an itinerant preacher. He journeyed on foot from 
place to place to preach the Gospel to all. We will here 
give one example of his faithfulness in this particular. At 
Capernaum, a city of Galilee, after he had finished his 
work, he desired to leave unobserved, that he might not be 
hindered. "And when it was day he departed, and went 
into a desert place ; and the people sought him, and came 
unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from 
them. And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom 
of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent. And 
he preached in the synagogues of Galilee." 

God's general plan is to save souls by human instrumen- 
tality ; hence, though Jesus preached himself, he employed 
the apostles in the same work. Mark says, " And he went 
round about the villages teaching. And he called unto him 
the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and 
two ; * * * and they went out, and preached that men 
should repent." But what were these among so many: 
only twelve ministers, when multitudes were to be saved ! 
However, as the work increased, laborers were multiplied ; 
for Luke says, "After these things, the Lord appointed 
other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his 
face into every city, and place, whither he himself would 
come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is 
great, but the laborers are few : pray ye therefore the Lord 
of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his 
harvest." Respecting this statement, several things are 



SER. XXVII.] KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. 291 

worthy of remark. The Lord sent out his preachers to 
travel two and two, as the Methodists formerly did, and 
do yet in some places ; and we still believe it is the better 
plan to have two preachers on one circuit. And he sent 
them "into every city, and place, whither he himself 
would come." Wherever there are souls to save, preach- 
ers ought to go ; and wherever they go to do the Lord's 
work, there his presence will go with them. Again, we 
here have laid down the true system for supplying the work 
with ministers. "The harvest truly is great, but the labor- 
ers are few." What then, build theological seminaries, and 
send boys to them whom God never called to the work, and 
educate them for the ministry ? No; "Pray ye therefore 
the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers 
into his harvest ;" for he alone can call, commission, qualify, 
and send men to do his own work. "A word to the wise 
is sufficient." 

So far the commission of the disciples limited their 
operations to the land of Judea. Jesus had said to them, 
"Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city 
of the Samaritans enter ye not. But go rather to the lost 
sheep of the house of Israel." These were to have the 
first offer of life. But after his resurrection, "Jesus came, 
and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me 
in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all 
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to 
observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: 
and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the 
world." In this promise of Jesus, "Lo, I am with you 
always, even unto the end of the world," we have laid 
down the true doctrine of succession. Whoever is called 
of God to preach, and has his presence with him to bless 
his labor, whether ordained by bishop, or presbyter, or 
neither, he belongs to the true apostolic succession. And 



292 KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. fsER. XXVII. 

other succession than this, professing to reach from the 
apostles to the present time, we do not recognize. It is 
neither the subject of our knowledge or belief. 

We would further remark, that the Gospel ministry- 
exhibits much variety. It includes, among its subjects, the 
aged, the middle aged, and the young. We read of Paul 
the aged, and John the beloved disciple, who out-lived all 
his colleagues ; we also read of the youthful Timothy and 
Titus; and there was, doubtless, a class of medium age 
between them. So it was then, is now, and always should 
be. We need, in the ministry, the wisdom of age, the 
sprightliness of youth, and the vigor of manhood. And 
thanks to the Head of the Church, we have them all. 
Here are our fathers, sons, and brethren associated with us 
in the blessed work of the ministry. 

We have variety in the ministry of the Gospel also as it 
regards relations in society. It embraces men with and 
without families. So it was at first. Peter, claimed by 
the Roman Catholics as the first in the line of popes, was a 
married man ; for when Jesus was at Capernaum, Peter's 
wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and he went into Peter's 
house and healed her. There appears to have been some 
individuals at Corinth who objected to married preachers 
traveling on account of the expense, for whose sake Paul 
used this argument: "Have we not power to eat and to 
drink ? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, 
as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, 
and Cephas?" In this declaration, made in the form of 
question, Paul shows that traveling preachers had power — 
that is, it was their right to take their families wherever 
they were appointed to labor, and claim a support for them ; 
and that Cephas or Peter, the brethren of the Lord, name- 
ly, James and John his kinsmen, and some other apostles, 
did so. And who can dispute our right as traveling preach- 
ers to do so still? There were probably others who had 






SER. XXVII.] KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. 293 

no families, and who, being free from encumbrance, could 
readily go wherever sent. Now, as the first constituted 
Christian ministry was itinerant, and embraced both mar- 
ried and single men, is it not reasonable to conclude, that 
such is God's plan still? We are well acquainted with 
such a ministry, and know the Lord blesses the efforts 
of that ministry in a glorious manner. 

The Gospel ministry exhibits variety as it regards 
literary attainments. To this qualification of ministers, 
some people attach more importance than it deserves, and 
others less than it deserves ; but God, whose wisdom is 
infinite, makes his own selection, without regard to the 
prejudice of either, so as to meet the real wants of all 
classes and conditions of society. For the benefit of some, 
he calls Luke from the medical department, Saul from the 
profession of the law, and Apollos from the schools of elo- 
cution; and to meet the spiritual wants of others, he calls 
Elisha from the ox plough, Peter from his fishing boat, and 
Matthew from the receipt of custom, to go and preach the 
Gospel. But whether from the learned professions, or 
from the simple avocations of life, those whom God calls 
to the work, are men of piety and sound minds ; and being 
endued with power from on high, become able ministers 
of the New Testament, provided they are faithful in all 
things. Learning is not to be despised or neglected; 
indeed, it is important to the interest of the Church that 
some of her ministers should be learned men, so as to carry 
on the benevolent enterprise of the Gospel, by translating 
the sacred Scriptures, and otherwise. And the Lord 
always calls as many such as he needs. But those who 
make a classical education an indispensable prerequisite to 
the sacred office in all cases, manifest much ignorance 
of the holy Scriptures, or great disregard to the divine 
administration. They have yet to learn what Paul taught 
the Corinthians on this subject. "But God hath chosen 
25* 



294 KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. [sER. XXVII. 

the foolish things of the world to confound the wise ; and 
God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound 
the things which are mighty ; and base things of the world, 
and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and 
things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: 
that no flesh should glory in his presence." 

There is also much variety in the Christian ministry as 
it regards peculiar gifts, as there should be to benefit all 
classes of hearers. There is perhaps no one subject 
respecting which men entertain a greater diversity of 
opinion, than they do as to the best manner of preaching. 
Our hearers, so far as their preferences on this subject are 
concerned, may however, be arranged mostly into four 
classes. The first and least numerous class is made up 
of those who care for nothing but cold discussion. He 
who can produce the most logical argument on some 
abstract principle, is to them the most acceptable preacher. 
Those of the second class are totally different. Reasoning 
with them is a dull performance. It answers them no pur- 
pose ; for they do not understand, or take any interest in it 
whatever. All they care for is fiery declamation that takes 
every thing by storm. The most boisterous and vehement 
preacher suits them best. Whether he be sound or unsound 
in the faith, competent or incompetent to teach, are with 
them unimportant considerations ; for they appear to esti- 
mate his entire qualifications by the strength of his voice, 
and fluency of his speech. They are apt to judge where 
there is no noise, there can be but little religion. There 
is a third class materially different from the first and second 
classes. It is composed of feeling hearers, partial to weep- 
ing prophets. They are not partial to argumentative, or 
vehement speakers, but to those of the persuasive kind, 
who operate mostly on the sympathies of the people. 
Pathetic speakers are very popular, especially on funeral 
and other solemn occasions. The fourth and last class 



SER. XXVII.] KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. 295 

of hearers which we shall name, are content with simple 
explanation of truth, without any striking peculiarity of 
manner. They are satisfied with the preacher who states 
clearly the plan of salvation, and defines correctly the path 
of duty, in an easy and natural tone of voice, and with the 
appearance of sincerity and self-possession. They are not 
pleased with a phlegmatic, violent, or affected manner; nor 
do they relish a display of words or of the flowers of 
rhetoric. The most they care for is the exposition of relig- 
ious truth in its native simplicity, which seldom fails to 
produce a good impression. 

It is worthy of remark, that most of our congregations 
are made up of hearers from all these classes ; and hence 
the difficulty of one preacher suiting the whole. There is 
probably not one minister in a thousand whose preaching 
gives universal satisfaction, even among serious and well 
disposed people, because his manner is not adapted to meet 
the peculiarities of all hearers. Beside, there are but few, 
if any, who excel in all things pertaining to the duties 
of the ministerial office. It has often been observed, no 
one man can exercise a perfect ministry. To do this, 
requires all the variety of gifts and graces possessed by the 
whole body of ministers. Hence, the necessity of constant 
interchange to meet the wants of all. A truly prosperous 
state of religion is seldom if ever seen where the people 
are confined to the preaching of one man for many years 
together. But all these difficulties are removed or lessened 
by the practical operation of an itinerant interchanging 
ministry, whose entire variety of gifts and qualifications 
pass in review before the same people, and meet the cases 
of all. They hear alternately the master reasoner, the son 
of thunder, the son of consolation, and the man of instruc- 
tion, and each hearer receives his portion of the Gospel 
provision, keeping up a healthy action in the whole body 



296 KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. [sER. XXVII. 

ecclesiastic ; and the result of the whole is, many run to 
and fro, and knowledge is increased. 

We purpose to show in our final remarks, that this 
prophecy is rapidly being fulfilled, both as it regards the 
number of agents employed, and the effects produced. 
Without intending to disparage pious ministers of other 
Churches, whom we regard as brethren and co-workers in 
the Lord's vineyard, we beg leave to refer to our own 
ministry as an example of the increase of laborers. About 
one hundred years ago, Mr. Wesley met his first confer- 
ence, embodying less than a dozen preachers. Now the 
whole number of traveling preachers in his connection on 
both sides of the Atlantic, is over five thousand. These 
are aided by about ten thousand local preachers. Most of 
these we have reason to believe, both itinerant and local, 
are truly and successfully engaged in spreading the knowl- 
edge of the truth. Now add to our own the ministers of 
Christ in all denominations, and in all countries, together 
with institutions of learning, public and private, and all 
benevolent associations employed in circulating Bibles, 
tracts, books and religious periodicals, and the many thou- 
sands engaged in the missionary and Sabbath school depart- 
ments, and you can form some general idea of the force 
brought into requisition, and running to and fro, that knowl- 
edge may be increased. 

That the knowledge of the truth is rapidly extending, no 
one can doubt who has eyes to see and ears to hear. This 
is true as it regards the doctrines of the Gospel. The time 
was when the doctrines of general redemption and free 
grace, as preached by us, were considered monstrous by a 
large proportion of Protestant Churches ; but such is the 
increase of light within one century, that these doctrines 
are now very generally believed and taught throughout 
England, Ireland, Canada, and the United States. This 
change, by affording Christians more liberal views of the 



SER. XXVII.] KNOWLEDGE INCREASED. 297 

system of salvation, will greatly facilitate the spread of the 
Gospel among the nations of the earth. Again, it is not 
very long since no one could profess to know his sins for- 
given, by the direct witness of the Spirit, without subjecting 
himself to the charge of being a fanatic, a hypocrite, or in a 
state of mental derangement. In some cases, conversion was 
treated by regular physicians as a paroxysm of insanity, by 
bleeding, and blistering the head ; but without success. A 
plaster of flies might, for ought we know, draw an inflam- 
mation from the brain, but it could not extract religion from 
the heart. Dr. Hinde, of Virginia, who some years since 
finished his course at Newport, Ky. ? was an example. 
When his wife got converted among the Methodists, he 
shaved her head and applied a blistering plaster, supposing 
her to be mentally deranged. However, he soon found out 
that she was in her right mind, and that he was morally 
deranged himself; but he applied to the great Physician 
of souls, and was healed. His conversion occurred at a 
camp meeting, where the people were affected with the 
falling exercise, which he insisted was all affectation, and 
that he could prove it by applying a strong preparation 
of hartshorn to the nostrils of the fallen subject, and actual- 
ly went prepared to make an experiment. While con- 
versing with a friend some distance from the stand, an indi- 
vidual came and said, " Doctor, they are falling, they are 
falling." Dr. Hinde ran with his bottle of hartshorn to 
make an experiment which should expose the hypocrisy 
of the prostrated subject; but before he reached the scene 
of action, he was stricken down by the power of God, like 
Saul of Tarsus. After agonizing in prayer for some hours, 
he arose a new creature in Christ, shouting happy; in 
which state he continued till death. 

The work went on in the midst of opposition. Some 
of the established orders of ministers in the early days 
of Methodism, manifested great ignorance in regard to 



298 RELIGION. [SER. XXVIII. 

experimental godliness. Many of them, when applied to 
by awakened persons for counsel, advised them to go into 
gay company, and drink wine to revive their drooping 
spirits, and by all means avoid those places where revivals 
of religion were in progress, to which, under the influence 
of prejudice, they traced most cases of affliction of mind 
and body. And some such ministers went so far in their 
opposition to the work of the Lord among us, as to encour- 
age mobs to rise and put us down by force. These were 
truly "blind leaders of the blind." But we have much 
cause of gratitude for a better state of things. A great 
change has taken place. The revival of God's work since 
the days of Wesley has extended into most or all of the 
Protestant Churches, and thousands of witnesses have been 
raised up among them, who testify from experience that it 
is the privilege of Christians to know their sins forgiven. 
Thus, knowledge is increasing. The prophecy in the text 
is being fulfilled. And we trust the day is not far distant 
when the knowledge of God shall cover the whole earth, 
as the waters do the great deep. May the Lord hasten 
it in his time ! Amen. 



SERMON XXVIII. 

RELIGION. 

If a preacher were addressing a congregation for the first 
time, religion would be a suitable subject, as one of the 
first importance : if he were addressing them for the last 
time, it would be suitable, as a subject of the last impor- 
tance ; and if he were addressing them at any time, it would 
be suitable, as a subject that is always important. 

The time was when the Christian religion was the topic 
of conversation among a few people, and they of the poor 
and obscure class ; but a vast change has taken place in our 
world in reference to this subject. It has obtained an intro- 



SER. XXVIII.] RELIGION. 299 

duction into every department of society, and is made a 
subject of interesting conversation in churches, court- 
houses, colleges, markets, ships, prisons, hospitals, camps, 
and navies. It calls forth the influence of wealth, learning, 
and talents ; employs the deliberations of conferences, coun- 
cils, general assemblies, and parliaments ; it sweetens all 
the enjoyments of domestic life, stamps dignity on public 
acts, and lays the foundation of civil governments ; it adorns 
the youthful character, crowns the gray head with honor, 
tames the savage disposition of man, builds bulwarks of sal- 
vation round unprotected innocence, warms the poet's heart, 
and inspires the tongue of the orator : it soothes the sorrows 
of the bereaved, softens the bed of affliction, and points the 
dying pilgrim to his endless rest. 

But after all, what is religion? Cicero says, " The term 
religion comes from a word which signifies to reconsider, 
and denotes the diligent study of whatever pertains to the 
worship of God." Servius says, "Religion comes from a 
word which means to bind fast, and denotes that obligation 
which we feel on our minds from the relation in which we 
stand to a superior power." "With us," says Martindale, 
"the term religion is used to denote that worship and 
homage which is due to God, considered as our Creator, 
Preserver, Benefactor, Redeemer, Savior, Governor, and 
Judge." All of which, we presume, is well enough in its 
proper place. Yet as this view of the subject is too exten- 
sive for our present purpose, we shall content ourselves 
with a few observations, 

I. On the religion of the head. 

II. The religion of the heart. 

III. The religion of the life. 

I. By the religion of the head, we mean the understand- 
ing and belief of the Christian revelation. Do we then 
understand Christianity, as distinguished from Paganism, 
Mohammedanism, and all other religions; and taking it as 



300 RELIGION. [sER. XXVIII. 

a whole, do we believe in it as a system of divine truth ? 
If so, then we are right. To be a little more particular, 
do we understand and believe in this system in all its 
general and important parts ? We ask this, because many 
who subscribe to the truth of the Gospel as a whole sys- 
tem, when they come to examine its details, reject its more 
important principles, and thereby virtually reject it alto- 
gether; yet they wish to be called Christians, to take away 
their reproach. Do We subscribe to the doctrine of the 
Trinity, or three persons in one divine nature ? the totally 
fallen, wholly polluted, and utterly helpless state of man, 
when considered apart from the grace of God ? the atone- 
ment made by the sin-offering of Christ? divine influence 
or agency of the Holy Ghost? repentance and faith, as 
conditions of salvation? regeneration, or the new birth? 
obedience, as the fruits of faith? holiness, as an essential 
qualification for heaven? perseverance, or the necessity 
of continuing faithful until death? the resurrection of the 
body? a general judgment? and eternal rewards and pun- 
ishments ? If so, we have what we mean by the religion 
of the head. So far, we presume, we are generally relig- 
ious ; for who is willing in these days to be called an 
atheist, a deist, or a sceptic ? But unfortunately for many, 
alas, too many, their religion never proceeds any further ; 
and dying merely orthodox sinners, their souls, we fear, 
are lost for ever. 

II. The religion of the heart. 

By this we mean what is commonly called experience, 
which is a very comprehensive term, embracing several 
material points which should be well understood. Our 
Savior said, "They that be whole need not a physician, 
but they that are sick." No one will seek religion who 
does not feel the need of.it; but to feel that need as we 
should, is half the cure; for when our sense of want 
drives us to the mercy seat, we are not far from the king- 



SER. XXVIII."] RELIGION. 301 

dom of God. This state of mind is called conviction, and 
is an affecting, heart-felt sense of our lost and ruined state 
as sinners, which the Holy Ghost most generally effects by 
the sword of the Spirit; "for the word of God is quick, 
and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, 
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and 
of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts 
and intents of the heart. ' r With our hearts thus laid open, 
and exposed by the light of truth, we begin to cry with 
anguish, or tremble under a fearful sense of the wrath of a 
holy God. All we can see is misery, and all we can read 
is condemnation. The awful thunders of Sinai roll around 
our defenseless souls ; and if left in this condition, we 
should fall into desperation ; but Christ is offered as an all- 
sufficient Savior; and Avere we to .receive him immediately, 
we should find speedy relief; we should "have redemption 
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the 
riches of his grace." But a sight of our guilt usually 
brings with it unbelief, which stands like a mountain 
between Christ and our souls ; consequently, instead of 
receiving offered mercy, we set out in our extremity to 
make ourselves better, but all proves in vain. No penance 
we can do, or works we can perform, or distress of mind we 
can suffer, brings relief; nor will any thing, until we come 
straight to Christ as we are, with all our sins and sorrows, 
and throw ourselves without reserve on him, who will 
receive us graciously, and love us freely. You perceive, 
in our few remarks on conviction, we have taken the term 
in its largest sense, to denote all those exercises which go 
before conversion; including, not only trie light of truth, 
and the fear of destruction, but also that penitential grief 
which softens the heart, encourages hope, and prepares us 
to surrender ourselves as unworthy and helpless subjects 
of divine mercy. 

The second material point in experimental religion is 
26 



302 RELIGION. [SER. XXVIII. 

conversion, which includes the pardon of sin, changing our 
relation from a state of guilt to a state of favor, and also a 
renewal or change of our nature by the Holy Spirit, which 
takes the things that are Christ's and shows them to us, 
appropriating them to our case, and making them our own ; 
so that "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: 
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become 
new." This mighty change, in all the moral dispositions 
of our nature, is through faith in the merits of the Lord 
Jesus, and by the influence of the Holy Ghost; and is 
accompanied with peace of mind, yea peace with God, and 
likewise with the Spirit of adoption sent forth into our 
hearts, whereby we cry, " Abba, Father," and producing 
"joy unspeakable and full of glory." 

The religion of the heart includes also what is called 
sanctification, or perfect love. It is true, however, that 
conversion is sanctification begun ; but because a work is 
commenced, it does not follow that it is finished. Hence, 
believers are exhorted to "grow in grace," and to "go on 
unto perfection;" the necessity of which is found in the 
fact that a cessation of exertion will be followed by a loss 
of our "first love," and if persisted in, by a loss of the 
divine favor altogether; and also in the fact that "without 
holiness no man shall see the Lord" in peace. No "un- 
clean person" hath any inheritance in the kingdom of God. 
And we ask the justified believer, if there is not unclean- 
ness or moral pollution remaining in him, such as pride, 
anger, covetousness, self-will, sensuality, and many unholy 
affections, neither of which can go to heaven, and all of 
which must be crucified? Let us not deceive ourselves, 
when we are converted, we are little children only ; hence 
John says, "I have written to you, little children, because 
your sins are forgiven you." What the infant is to the 
man, young converts are to perfect Christians. Therefore, 
"As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, 



SER. XXVIII.] RELIGION. 303 

that ye may grow thereby," to be " young men," and after- 
wards "fathers in Israel," so shall we be emptied of sin, 
and filled with God, and enabled to love him with all the 
heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as our- 
selves, which is what we mean by sanctification, or Chris- 
tian perfection. 

Having barely time to touch this great subject of perfect 
love, we would just observe, that it is to be obtained as the 
former blessing, by simple faith in the blood of Christ, 
"which cleanseth from all sin," that " faith which works 
by love, and purifies the heart." When this perfect love 
is received, it " caste th out all fear that hath torment;" and 
causes us to "rejoice evermore: pray without ceasing: 
and in every thing give thanks." It is certain if we had 
this blessing, we could preach better and hear better, pray 
better and feel better. May our God and Savior fill us 
with all his fullness now ! We hasten to notice, 

III. The religion of the life. 

This comprehends obedience to God's commandments. 
The inward witness of the Spirit is good evidence of a 
state of grace to ourselves when we feel it, but it is no evi- 
dence to our neighbor ; he looks for the fruits of conversion 
in our "manner of life." And in proportion to the great- 
ness of our profession, there must be a correspondent 
obedience in our lives : if penitents, we are supposed to be 
reformed from outward and flagrant offenses : if converts, 
we are expected to lead new lives, though feeble and easily 
turned out of the narrow path ; but if perfect and well estab- 
lished Christians, we are expected to adorn the doctrine 
of God our Savior in all things, walking in all the ordi- 
nances and commandments of the Lord blameless. 

The religion of the life also includes works of charity 
towards men. Supreme love to God, and universal good 
will to man, constitute the sum and substance of religion. 
If we love God, as a natural consequence, we love our 



304 RELIGION. [SER. XXVIII. 

neighbor. If we love God with the whole heart, the conse- 
quence is, we love our neighbor as ourselves. And if so, 
we will find means to express it. James gives us a striking 
description of pure religion, when he says, " Pure religion 
and undefiled before God and the Father is this, (the marks 
of it are these,) To visit the fatherless and widows in their 
affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." 
In view of this text, we would do well to ask ourselves, 
if we do good to all men as far as possible, but especially 
to the friendless and afflicted ? does our religion lead us to 
garrets and cellars, to prisons and hospitals, the chambers 
of the sick, and cottages of the poor, to open our hearts and 
hands, and to loose our tongues to instruct the ignorant, 
and pray for the distressed ? If so, our religion is pure. 

A Christian must not only do good, but he must "keep 
himself unspotted from the world," refusing any undue 
attachment to temporal interests; any familiarity with the 
society of the world, farther than is strictly necessary to 
transact lawful business with, and reclaim them from sin 
and ruin ; any conformity to the spirit and foolish fashions 
of the world; and, in a word, he should live above the 
world while in it, have the victory over it, using it as not 
abusing it, and ready to leave it, when called to his better 
home. 

A few words of application, and we shall have done 
Have we this religion ? The answer is, we either have it 
in whole, or we have it in part, or we have it not at all ; 
one of these must be the true answer in each person's case 
now present. If we have it not at all, what are our future 
prospects? We know that we shall soon "die and go the 
way of all the earth;" and, like Job, say to corruption, 
"Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, 
and my sister. And where is now my hope?" While we 
have to claim such kindred for our flesh in the grave, 
whither will our spirits go? Who will be their com- 



SER. XXIX.] A TRUE ISRAELITE. 305 

panions for ever? Without this religion, all is darkness, 
misery, and death ; but with it, we die to live again, die to 
be happy for ever and ever. 

If we have it in part, let us be thankful, and seek after 
more. The store of mercy is inexhaustible, and always 
free. Why should we starve our souls, while in our 
Father's house there is bread enough and to spare ? It is 
our privilege to have "good measure, pressed down, and 
shaken together, and running over." He that cannot err 
said to his ancient people, " Open thy mouth wide, and 
I will fill it." O for the heavenly manna now! If we 
have it in whole, then it remains for us to hold on. We 
are still in an enemy's land; but "be thou faithful unto 
death, and I will give thee a crown of life," saith Jesus 
Christ. What more could we ask? Though we are little 
and unknown by the world, we are the sons and daughters 
of a great King, and heavenly mansions and shining crowns 
of glory await our arrival in the kingdom of God. Hold 
up your heads ye saints of God, we are almost home. 
Jordan is quite a narrow stream, which may be passed in a 
few moments, and then we shall be in heaven. And the 
moment we set our feet on that delightful shore, all is safe, 
all is well, all is gained, and gained for ever. So may it be, 
and to the Triune God shall be all the glory, world without 
end. Amen. 



SERMON XXIX. 

A TRUE ISRAELITE. 

" Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile !" John i, 47. 
How simple is truth in its form, and how forcible in its 
operation upon the mind, as exemplified in the subject 
before us. "Philip findeth Nathaniel," who, in all proba- 
bility, was he that afterwards was called Bartholomew, 
26* 



306 A TRUE ISRAELITE. [j3ER. XXIX 

" and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses 
in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, 
the son of Joseph. And Nathaniel," hearing he was from 
that obscure village, against the inhabitants whereof he 
appears to have entertained some objection, "said unto him, 
Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip 
saith unto him, Come and see." This was a wise answer, 
and it appears that Nathaniel took the advice ; for the next 
account we have of him is, "Jesus saw Nathaniel coming 
to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in 
whom is no guile !" that is, see a true Israelite, in whom 
there is no deceit. Surprised at such a declaration from 
one with whom he had no acquaintance, " Nathaniel saith 
unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered 
and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when 
thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee." If his visit to 
the fig-tree was to gather fruit, it may be inferred that the 
Lord takes cognizance of the smallest actions of our lives : 
if he went there to pray, the Lord was listening, as he 
always is, to the voice of supplication. However that 
might be, the testimony which Christ gave him of his 
omniscience, converted him to the belief that he was the 
Messiah; for "Nathaniel answered, and said unto him, 
Rabbi, thou art the Son of God ; thou art the King of Is- 
rael." Before this he only believed in the promise of a 
Messiah to come, but now he has found him. We shall, 

I. Attempt to delineate the character of an Israelite. 

The word Israelite is derived from Israel, one of the 
names of the patriarch Jacob, significant of his religious 
character. The circumstances under which he received 
this appellation were of peculiar interest. An unhappy 
difference existed between him and his brother Esau, on 
account of which their mother apprehended fears for Jacob's 
safety, and advised him to flee to the land of her relatives, 
which he did accordingly. There he formed a connection 



SER. XXIX.] A TRUE ISRAELITE. 307 

in the family of his uncle Laban, with whom he sojourned 
about twenty years, and then, under the openings of divine 
Providence, set out to return to the land of his fathers. 
On his way, with his large family, and numerous herds 
and flocks, he heard that Esau was coming out with four 
hundred men to meet him. Supposing that a war of ex- 
termination was intended, he, on a certain evening, sent his 
family and flocks over the brook Jabbok, while he linger- 
ed behind to engage in secret prayer, for he knew where 
his help was ; and there wrestled with him a man all night, 
who, to try his faith still more, by way of reproach, said, 
"Let me go, for the day breaketh," signifying it was time 
that he departed to see what had become of the family ; but 
Jacob said, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 
And he said unto him, What is thy name ? And he said, 
Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more 
Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with 
God, and with men, and hast prevailed. * * * And 
he blessed him there." And Jacob said, "I have seen 
God face to face, and my life is preserved." Then "the 
man" with whom he contended all night in prayer, was 
Jehovah, who delivered him from all his enemies. 

We have given this narrative thus full, because it affords 
a certain clue to our subject, by which we learn an Israelite 
is one that is a prince, or the son of a king. All true 
Christians are the sons and daughters of the King of kings, 
and Lord of lords. "For ye have not received the spirit 
of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit 
of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father," enabling us 
to say unto God, Our Father. And when we arrive in 
heaven, we are to sing, "Unto him that loved us, and 
washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made 
us kings and priests unto God and his Father ; to him be 
glory and dominion for ever and ever." 

An Israelite is also one that has power with God, that is, 



308 A TRUE ISRAELITE. [sER. XXIX. 

one, who by prayer and faith, can avail himself of God's 
assistance. Thus, Jacob overcame four hundred men; 
Elisha, the prophet, made a strong military detachment all 
prisoners of war, without any destructive implements ; 
Gideon, with a handful of men, who cried, " The sword 
of the Lord and of Gideon," routed the whole Midian army 
with trumpets, empty pitchers, and torches ; and, in a 
word, by prayer and faith, the mouths of lions have been 
shut, flames quenched, seas dried, kingdoms subdued; and 
better still, souls immortal saved from destruction. 

An Israelite is likewise one that has power with men, to 
deter them from evil, and influence them to do right. Let 
a man's character be well established for piety, and how 
weighty is his counsel, how influential his example; in 
most cases, his presence will stop the mouths of the pro- 
fane, and drive dissipation from the room where he resorts. 
Let this influence then be exerted in leading lost souls to 
Christ; so shall we prove ourselves Israelites, having 
power with men. 

Finally, an Israelite is one who prevails; "for as a 
prince thou hast power with God and men, and hast pre- 
vailed" with God in prayer, and conquered or overcome 
thy enemies. And what is to hinder? If we can, by 
prayer and faith, avail ourselves of the aid of Heaven and 
earth, God and men, what difficulties can prove too great 
for us ? 

The enemies with whom we have to contend are numer- 
ous and strong, but He who is for us is greater than all that 
can be against us. One of these enemies is the world, a 
very comprehensive term, embracing every outward thing 
which stands opposed to a life of holiness. But whether 
we be annoyed and tempted by its wealth, fashions, cus- 
toms, society, toils, or persecutions, "this is the victory 
that overcometh the world, even our faith." 

Another enemy with which we have to conflict, is called 



SER. XXIX.] A TRUE ISRAELITE. 309 

the flesh, which means the corrupt nature of man, com- 
monly styled "the carnal mind:" hence, it is said, "They 
that are in the flesh cannot please God;" and again, "If 
ye live after the flesh ye shall die." This enemy, how- 
ever, is called by many other names ; as " original sin," be- 
cause it was the first sin, and fruitful source of all the other 
sins of men: "the old man," on account of its long stand- 
ing: "the sin of the world," because not peculiar to any, 
but common to all people: "the carnal mind," because 
of the sensual influence which it exerts upon us, filling the 
heart with all evil, even enmity against God. And this is 
a home enemy, an internal foe, a constant attendant on us 
wherever we go, and is, therefore, the more troublesome 
and dangerous. 

The next enemy with which we have to contend, is the 
prince of darkness, a most formidable foe. It has often 
been asserted by modern sceptics, there is no devil, except 
our own evil passions; but when it is said, "The devils 
also believe and tremble," does the apostle mean to say, 
that our passions believe? "I trow not." As to his 
origin, it has been asked by infidels in the spirit of captious- 
ness, ""Who made the devil?" Our answer is short and 
easily understood. As God made man, and man made 
himself a sinner, in like manner God made angels, and 
some of those angels made themselves devils. The conse- 
quence was, as Jude said, "And the angels which kept not 
their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath 
reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the 
judgment of the great day." Since that rebellion, these 
fallen spirits have ever been the sworn enemies of the 
government of God, and the best interest of man. 

But among them there is one principal character emphati- 
cally called the devil, whose power is no doubt very con- 
siderable, but not unlimited ; he is a finite being, and does 
more by artifice than force. His ordinary character is that 



310 A TRUE ISRAELITE. [SER. XXIX. 

of "a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour;" but 
when it suits his purpose better, he "transforms himself 
into an angel of light," at least in appearance, and comes 
"with all deceivableness of unrighteousness," in search 
of prey. Perhaps it-may be objected, if the devil is not 
infinite, and omnipresent, how does he manage to tempt so 
many in all parts of the world ? We answer, though he is 
not infinite, yet he possesses the power of self- transpor- 
tation with great velocity ; for being a spirit, it may be pre- 
sumed he can fly with the speed of lightning, or of thought. 
He also has many agents, and sub-agents, under him. The 
number of fallen angels is vastly great; for in one small 
fort of them, no larger than the heart of one man, they 
were heard to say, " Our name is legion, for we are many." 
Perhaps this was one reason why Dr. Watts said, " They 
throng the air, and darken heaven." Possibly they are 
more numerous about us now than the motes that float in 
the atmosphere. But beside these, every impenitent sin- 
ner is arrayed under his sable banner ; for to all such Christ 
says, "Ye are of your father the devil, for his works ye 
will do." Now, all these the Israelite has to contend with. 
But lest we discourage him by the number and character 
of his enemies, let us inquire for a moment, as we pass 
along, who are on his side ? Every good man and woman 
on earth, of every name, and every order; they all pray for 
him and for all men daily, if they are good in the sense 
of the Gospel. Likewise every glorified spirit in paradise, 
and every angel in heaven ; one of whom slew thousands of 
Assyrians in one night, and who, with all their power, are 
ministering spirits, to minister unto those who shall become 
heirs of salvation. The Triune God himself is for us, and 
"is greater than all who can be against us." The Father 
who is our refuge in distress, and " a very present help in 
time of trouble;" the Holy Ghost, "who maketh interces- 
sions for us," and the Lord Jesus Christ, "the captain 



SER. XXIX.] A TRUE ISRAELITE. 311 

of our salvation made perfect through sufFe rings," the com- 
mander-in-chief of Zion's forces, the general who never 
lost a battle, are all on our side; and "if God be for us, 
who can be against us ?" 

With these advantages, even a feeble soldier may achieve 
wonders, and prove that "the race is not to the swift, nor 
the battle to the strong." And though we have to " wrestle 
not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers, 
and spiritual wickedness in high places," yet " we are more 
than conquerors through him that loved us." What, my 
brethren, are all the enemies of the cross? Though we 
have "fightings without and fears within," yet God will 
" teach our hands to war, and our fingers to fight." " Ah, 
but in my neighborhood," says one, "there are so many 
opposed, and so few on the Lord's side." How many 
opposed, a thousand, or ten thousand? Perhaps not so 
many. But how many on the Lord's side, one, or two? 
They are entirely sufficient; for "one shall chase a thou- 
sand, and two shall put ten thousand to flight." 

Behold! or see! this Israelite prevailing with God in 
prayer, and consequently, over every difficulty, every 
enemy; and the last foe which he conquers is death. 
Feign would Satan alarm him by making death as fearful 
as possible ; but, as in former cases, so in this, all his suf- 
ficiency is of Christ; and trusting in him, he " shall not be 
confounded, but be as Mount Zion, which cannot be 
moved." Does the enemy whisper in his ear, "The cold 
grave, the cold grave ?" Then his heart responds, " There 
once the flesh of Jesus lay, and left a long perfume." 
Does Satan tell him, "Though you have conquered many 
enemies, yet here is an untried one?" How quickly he 
responds, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where 
is thy victory ? The sting of death is sin ; and the strength 
of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us 
the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ." How many 



312 HELL. [SER. XXX. 

have fallen covered with glory, and proclaiming triumph to 
the last. We give one example. The case of John Ran- 
don, a soldier who fell in the battle at Bunker's Hill. He 
belonged to the British line, and after receiving his death 
wounds, wrote a letter to his wife in England, which he 
commences thus: "Before these lines reach you, grim 
death will have swept me off the stage of life, and filthy 
reptiles will be feeding on that form once so dear to 
thee. * * * Yesterday we had a bloody and obsti- 
nate fight. * * * I received two balls, and am now 
so weak with the loss of blood, that I can hardly write 
these few lines, as the last tribute of my unchanging love 
to thee. The surgeons inform me that three hours will be 
the utmost I can survive." And after narrating his voyage, 
his conversion by the instrumentality of a Methodist 
soldier, expressing his wishes respecting his business, and 
giving his dying advice at length to his wife and children, 
he closed with these memorable words, "More would I 
say, but life ebbs out apace. My senses cease to perform 
their office. Bright angels stand around the gory turf on 
which I lie, ready to escort me to the arms of Jesus. 
Bending saints reveal my shining crown, and beckon me 
away. Yea, methinks, my Jesus bids me come. Adieu ! 
adieu! adieu!" and soon expired. 



SERMON XXX. 

HELL. 

1. On hell, and words of similar import, whole volumes 
have been written, employed, principally, in learned criti- 
cism : but this must all be passed by for the present ; for 
we only design a plain, brief view of the subject, as set 
forth in the sacred Scriptures. The word hell sometimes 
means the place of separate spirits generally, whether good 



SER. XXX.] HELL. 313 

or bad ; hence, the soul of Christ was not " left in hell," or 
the separate state, but returned to the body on the third 
day. Also, it is figuratively used in reference to the grave ; 
thus, in the 55th Psalm, "Let them go down quick into 
hell," that is, the grave. But usually hell means the place 
of future punishment for the wicked. We refer to a few 
cases. "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the 
nations that forget God," Psalm ix, 17. If hell here means 
either the grave or separate state of souls generally, why 
are the wicked threatened with it more than others, seeing 
all have to die, and go to eternity? Again, "For a fire is 
kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest 
hell," Deuteronomy xxxii, 22. Now, supposing the grave 
to be hell, and the place of the rich man the lower hell, 
what is "the lowest hell," but the lake of fire and brim- 
stone? Let these two awful cases suffice from the Old 
Testament, and we will turn to the New. "But whoso- 
ever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire," 
Matthew v, 22; "but rather fear him which is able to de- 
stroy both soul and body in hell," Matthew x, 28. In this 
place we must admit, either that hell is not the grave, or else 
admit that the soul destroyed therein is not immortal. But 
this hell is not the grave, it is the place of future punish- 
ment; and, therefore, modern Universalism, which teaches 
that " there is not the least intimation in all the Bible that a 
sinner shall be punished after he is naturally dead," is not 
true. Again, "The rich man died, and was buried," 
Luke xvi. Where? Doubtless, in his grave. What next? 
"And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments," 
the eyes of his soul, "and seeth Abraham afar off," as far 
as heaven is from hell, and called to him for relief, saying, 
"for I am tormented in this flame." Abraham mentions 
several considerations, and then says, " And besides all 
this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that 
they which would pass from hence to you, cannot ; neither 
27 



314 HELL. [SER. XXX. 

can they pass to us, that would come from thence." In 
this passage, it is impossible for Universalists to evade the 
force of the argument ; because, if the hell of the rich man 
is the grave only, then between the sinner's grave and 
paradise there is an impassable gulf: if his hell is exclusion 
from heaven only, then between that state of exclusion and 
heaven, there is an impassable gulf: if his hell is a guilty 
conscience, then between it and the kingdom of God, there 
is an impassable gulf: or if his hell is "the lake of fire," 
then between that lake and glory, there is an impassable 
gulf; all of which is after his death and burial. Having 
shown that there is a hell of torment after death, we now 
proceed to show, 

2. There will be punishment for the wicked after the 
resurrection. If we succeed here, modern Universalism is 
false ; for it teaches that though many live and die sinners, 
yet in the resurrection " all will be raised children of God." 
Christ says, "Marvel not at this : for the hour is coming, 
in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 
and shall come forth ; they that have done good, unto the 
resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil, unto the 
resurrection of damnation," John v, 28, 29. Here we see 
the difference between Universalism and the Bible ; one 
teaches that the wicked come forth to the resurrection of 
purification; the other, that they come forth to the resur- 
rection of damnation. And whether it is better to believe 
Christ or Universalists, judge ye. 

3. There will be punishment for the wicked after the 
general judgment. "It is appointed unto men once to die, 
but after this the judgment." Observe, the judgment is 
after death, not in this life, as some say. And then "the 
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty 
angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know 
not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus 
Christ : who shall be punished with everlasting destruction 



SER. XXX.] HELL. 315 

from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his 
power," 2 Thessalonians i, 7, 8, 9. In the 20th chapter 
of Revelation, there is an awful description of the general 
judgment, where John saw in a vision the dead, small and 
great, stand before God, collected from the sea, and from 
death, the place that contained the body, and from hell, the 
place that contained their separate spirits, and all whose 
names were not written in the book of life were cast into 
the lake of fire. "And I saw a great white throne, and 
him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven 
fled away ; and there was found no place for them. And I 
saw the dead, small and great, stand before God ; and the 
books were opened : and another book was opened, which 
is the book of life : and the dead were judged out of those 
things which were written in the books, according to their 
works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it ; 
and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in 
them : and they were judged every man according to their 
works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. 
This is the second death. And whosoever was not found 
written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." 

In the 25th chapter of Matthew, the Judge is repre- 
sented as saying to the wicked, " Depart ye cursed, into 
everlasting fire." We know that Universalists have tried 
to explain away this account of the general judgment, by 
referring the whole transaction recorded in the 24th and 
25th chapters of Matthew to the destruction of Jerusalem ; 
but when the judgment takes place, all the nations of the 
earth are to be gathered before Christ, and divided, the 
righteous from the wicked. Now, we claim to be a part 
of one of these nations, and yet we know that we were not 
present to receive our final doom when Jerusalem was 
destroyed by the Romans; and, consequently, w T e know 
that this is a mere shift to evade the truth. The sum of all 
on this point is this, the judgment comes after death and 



316 HELL. [sER. XXX. 

the resurrection, and the full damnation of the wicked after 
the judgment; and, of course, not in this world, but in 
the next. 

4. The punishment of the wicked will be for ever. The 
principal words we have to express endless duration are, 
ever, for ever, everlasting, for evermore, for ever and ever, 
eternal, &c. ; all of which convey the idea of eternity, or 
endless duration. Figuratively, these terms are sometimes 
applied to express limited periods, from which Universalists 
have tried to explain away all their force in reference to 
future punishment, defining them thus : for ever, age ; for 
ever and ever, age and ages ; everlasting, age lasting, &c. 
Let us now try these definitions by the word of God. 
David says, " Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 
all the days of my life : and I will dwell in the house of the 
Lord for ever," that is, for an age ; and where will he go 
then? Will he be turned out of heaven after an age? 
Christ says, John iii, 36, " He that believeth on the Son 
hath everlasting life," that is, age lasting life ! Observe, 
further, these terms apply equally to the righteous and the 
wicked ; hence, we have in the Bible the terms everlasting 
burnings, and everlasting life ; everlasting punishment, and 
everlasting life; everlasting shame, and everlasting life; 
eternal fire, and eternal salvation; eternal damnation, and 
eternal glory. The righteous reign for ever and ever, and 
the smoke of the torment of the wicked ascendeth for ever 
and ever. Now, our argument is this : if these, and like 
passages, do not prove that the punishment of the wicked 
is without end, neither do they prove that the joys of the 
righteous are so, seeing the same words are used to express 
both. And, again, these terms are applied to the being 
of God himself; thus, Psalm ix, 7, "The Lord shall 
endure for ever," that is, for an age. "Thy throne, 
God, is for ever and ever," that is, for age and ages. 
From these, and various other parts of holy Scripture, it 



SER. XXX.] HELL. 317 

appears that before the Universalists can succeed in estab- 
lishing the truth of those definitions, which they have been 
obliged to give to make out their system, they must limit 
the being of Jehovah, dissolve his throne, and cause his 
empire to crumble into atoms. Such, indeed, is the ten- 
dency of the doctrine, that if it should obtain general belief, 
then the strongest motive to moral rectitude is gone; I 
mean the principle which holds us accountable in the next 
world for what we do in this. Then, too, the foundation 
of civil government is destroyed; for the witness is no 
longer, by his oath, bound over to the throne of God : the 
purifying resurrection sweeps all his perjury away, and 
makes him a child of God. In a word, do away the system 
of future rewards and punishments, and the moral govern- 
ment of the universe is subverted. Having briefly shown 
the certainty of hell torments reserved for the finally 
impenitent, let us now notice, 

5. The nature of them. In point of duration, we have 
seen that all who are lost are doomed to the same endless 
perdition ; but in point of severity, there will be a material 
difference; for God will "reward every man according as 
his works shall be:" and, hence, the degrees of misery 
spoken of in the Bible. But whatever may be the degrees 
of its severity, it will be a real punishment, consisting, not 
only of the loss of every thing desirable, but also a sensible 
suffering, such as that produced by horrible dungeons, 
heavy chains, rending pains, burning heats, consuming 
fires, gnawing worms, and destructive wrath. We know 
it is said that these are figurative expressions. So they 
may be, and yet the things represented by them are real. 
Nearly all language is more or less figurative ; but to say 
they are figurative in such a sense as to deny the real pun- 
ishments they are intended to explain, would be to bring 
the charge of insincerity, at least, against Jehovah, their 
author. When the Bible presents us with the felicities 
27* 



318 HELL. [SER. XXX. 

of heaven under the ideas of rivers and trees, cities and 
mansions, songs and Sabbaths, &c, we might as well 
conclude, that, because these are figurative, there are no 
felicities there, as to suppose that, because the torments 
of hell are described by figures, there are no such torments. 
According to the natural import of figurative language, in 
which the less is referred to for the illustration of the 
greater, we are authorized to believe, if there are no fields, 
houses, and cities in heaven, there are other things greater 
and better; and if there be no chains, fires, worms, &c, 
in hell, there are other things worse. 

6. How many circumstances will tend to heighten their 
misery. Here we could scarcely sustain the heat of a 
summer's day without the use of cold water; but there, 
sinners may cry in vain for a single drop to cool their 
parched tongues. What would this life be to us, if de- 
prived of all our friends ? But in hell the principle of 
friendship is not known: they are all "hateful and hating 
one another," dealing in the most cutting reproaches, with- 
out a single friend to soothe the troubled mind. How 
unhappy we feel in the presence of our enemies that seek 
our injury ; but in hell, sinners will be surrounded with the 
vilest men, and the most furious demons. Some have 
scarcely courage enough to pass amidst tombs on a dark 
night, lest they should see some real or supposed spirit; 
but what will they do when thrown into "outer darkness," 
amongst fearful spirits, and relentless devils? Amidst 
other causes of their anguish, observe their self-reproaches. 
Jesus died to save me, but I refused his grace ; the minis- 
ters of the Gospel warned me, but I would not hearken ; 
Christians prayed for me, but I was indifferent ; the Holy 
Ghost strove with my heart, but I resisted; my song was, 
it is time enough yet, but death came unexpectedly ; heaven 
was attainable, but now it is for ever gone; I stayed out 
of the Church, because it contained some disorderly pro- 



SER. XXX.] HELL. 319 

fessors with whom I would not be associated, but now they 
are my companions for ever. To crown all, my misery 
knows no end. If a million of ages would bring relief, I 
would live by hope ; but O, eternity, eternity, who can 
fathom thy depths, or who can endure thy tortures? O 
that I could be as though I never had been, then would I 
not be tortured with the recollection of the past, nor 
frighted with the view of the future. But I cannot. I am 
doomed to linger under the pangs of that death that never, 
never dies. 

In conclusion, we would say, if we have found release 
from guilt and the fear of hell, we should be thankful, but 
not indifferent ; we are not yet in heaven, and consequent- 
ly, not past all danger of hell. And if we were, we 
should still exert ourselves on account of others. Are any 
here yet unconverted? Recollect you " stand in jeopardy 
every hour." You may be moral, accomplished, and 
agreeable, or even in the Church as a seeker, but "except 
a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God;" 
and, of course, he must be lost for ever. To the more rude 
and thoughtless amongst us, we would say, think us not 
angry or hard-hearted, abusive or unkind, because we 
warn you of your danger. We feel for your condition, and 
"knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men." 
Deists and Universalists may reason hell out of their creeds, 
but not out of existence. " For Tophet is ordained of old ; 
yea, for the king it is prepared ; he hath made it deep and 
large : the pile thereof is fire and much wood ; the breath 
of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it." 
And we pray God, that none of us may ever feel how 
hot it is. 

Finally, it is a matter of gratitude that all of us here are 
on mercy's side of destruction ; that we are yet prisoners 
of hope ; that Christ is yet on the mediatorial seat, pleading 
the cause of the guilty; that the Holy Spirit yet strives 



320 believers' privileges and obligation. Tser. XXXI. 

with us ; the Gospel yet sounds forth the news of deliver- 
ance ; the Christian Sabbath yet waits upon us ; and pious 
people pray for us. Come then, dear fellow sinner, while 
you may, and yield to be saved by grace. All heaven is 
ready to rejoice over the returning 1 prodigal. May the 
Lord in much mercy save us from sin and hell, and crown 
us in heaven, through Jesus Christ ! Amen. 



SERMON XXXI. 

THE PRIVILEGES AND OBLIGATION OF 
BELIEVERS. 

" Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all 
that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto 
him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world 
without end. Amen," Ephesians iii, 20, 21. 

The circumstances under which preachers of the Gospel 
in America are now placed, compared with those of the 
apostles, form a pleasing contrast. Living under the freest 
government and in the happiest country under heaven, we 
scarcely know what persecution means, especially in its 
legal forms. But Paul, for preaching the Gospel of Christ, 
was arrested, put in irons and committed to prison. While 
he wrote this and other epistles from Rome, he was "an 
ambassador in bonds;" but the word of God was not 
bound. He could still think, write and pray to profit ; and 
it is possible the Lord suffered his enemies to confine him 
with special reference to his greater usefulness, by writing 
for the edification of his people in all future time. 

It has been said by some of the most learned divines that 
ever lived and wrote, that the outline of Paul's prayer for 
the Ephesians, immediately preceding our text, exceeds in 
beauty and sublimity, not only all the classics of Greece 
and Rome, but all other parts of the New Testament. He 
says, " Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribula- 



SER. XXXI.] BELIEVERS' PRIVILEGES AND OBLIGATION. 321 

tions for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow 
my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of 
whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that 
he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to 
be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man ; 
that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, 
being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to compre- 
hend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and 
depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which 
passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the full- 
ness of God." This is not the revery of a wild and dis- 
ordered imagination, but the word of truth and soberness. 
Paul here wrote and prayed as he was moved by the Holy 
Ghost. The text is a sort of doxology, with which he 
concludes this inimitable prayer. In the words selected 
for our present consideration, we are advised, 

I. Of our privileges as believers. 

The first privilege secured to us, as expressed in the text, 
is to ask the Lord in prayer for whatsoever we need. And 
surely this is a great privilege. While in this state of trial, 
we are exposed to dangers against which none but God can 
defend us ; we have wants which none other can supply, 
and are liable to affliction, sorrow and misery, from which 
no other being can relieve us. If we look to our friends 
for relief in our extremity, it is only to be disappointed, 
they cannot help us ; or if we trust in ourselves, we lean 
on a broken reed which will pierce our hand, and inflict 
deeper wounds in our hearts. But God can afford all 
needful aid. "He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? 
he that formed the eye, shall he not see?" We might add, 
and he that formed the heart, shall he not feel? Yes, 
verily; for God says to his people, " Call upon me in the 
day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify 
me." Who can describe the consolation of the humble 



322 believers' privileges and obligation, [ser. XXXI. 

believer, pouring out the desires of his full soul to God in 
prayer in the day of tribulation ? 

It is our privilege to ask for large blessings of "Him 
that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we 
ask or think." We scarcely know how to comment on 
such language as this, without marring its beauty and 
reducing its strength. It reminds us of the words of Jesus 
to his disciples, "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my 
name," in comparison of what is your privilege: "Ask, 
and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." We may 
ask for large supplies with full expectation of being heard ; 
for Jesus, to encourage the faith of the disciples, said, " What- 
soever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the 
Father may be glorified in the Son." Now, seeing it glorifies 
the Father in the Son to grant us all needful blessings, surely 
he will not withhold them from us. What greater encour- 
agement could we desire than is here given? Yet our 
privilege is not limited by our own power of expression. 
It is true, we can ask much, especially when our hearts 
are warmed, and our tongues are loosed by the Spirit of 
grace and supplication ; when we have asked for all we can 
express in words, thought still exceeds our language ; and 
when language and thought both fail, God "is able to do 
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." 

Again, he is as willing to bless us as he is able ; other- 
wise, all the words of promise and encouragement in the 
text would be useless, worse than useless, they would 
mock us, by exciting our hopes only to disappoint them. 
But not so. The Lord is waiting to be gracious. He is 
not only able and willing to save and bless all who pray in 
faith, but he encourages us to come and try him, thereby 
seeking an occasion to do us good. Blessed be God, we 
have a chartered right to plead the Gospel promises. "If 
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our 
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." In this 






SER. XXXI.] BELIEVERS' PRIVILEGES AND OBLIGATION. 323 

text we have, on condition of confessing our sins to God, 
the sure promise of a two-fold blessing: forgiveness and 
purification, or justification and sanctification. All this, 
however, is through the blood of the Lamb, which alone 
can wash out the stains of sin. "But if we walk in the 
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with 
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us 
from all sin." This testimony is complete, and ought to 
settle the question as to our privilege of full salvation, and 
we should act in accordance with our privilege. They 
who suppose that the blood of Jesus can only purify in 
part here, and that death must finish the work, undervalue 
that blood which "cleanseth us from all sin." We think 
that the advocates for inbred sin, for the necessity of believ- 
ers remaining in sin during life, are very erroneous in their 
views ; and doubtless they are so, according to the sacred 
Scriptures. Still, we are more inconsistent in our practice 
than they are in their belief. As Methodists we believe in 
full salvation from all sin, properly so called, through faith 
in the blood of Jesus, and yet most of us live without that 
blessing, and what is still worse, without using any suitable 
efforts to obtain it. Then out of our own mouths God will 
judge us at the last day. May the Lord pity our delin- 
quency, and help us now to commence in good earnest to 
seek the blessing of perfect love ! 

There is much need of a deeper work of grace in our 
hearts. The sense of pardon and peace which we occa- 
sionally enjoy are satisfactory evidences that, at such times, 
we are accepted in Christ, and justified freely for his sake 
from the guilt of past transgressions ; but the dark seasons 
which follow, and the unholy passions which rankle in our 
hearts, show but too plainly, that we still have the roots 
of bitterness within us, the remains of the carnal mind, and 
that we are unfit for heaven. These must all be destroyed, 
cast out, and our hearts made clean, if we would enjoy 



324 believers' privileges and obligation, [ser. XXXI. 

constant communion with God here, or live in his blissful 
presence hereafter. And let it be remembered, to be saved 
from all sin, is only the negative part of Christian perfec- 
tion; the main point is, "That Christ may dwell in your 
hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 
may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the 
breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know 
the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might 
be filled with all the fullness of God." 

All this is to be accomplished " according to the power 
that worketh in us," or the Holy Spirit's influence, which 
is the soul or vital principle of religion. They who deny 
the operation of the Spirit upon the heart of man, virtually 
deny the existence of all experimental religion. "Having 
a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from 
such turn away." All religion without the Spirit is a form 
without the power, a body without a soul, a name without 
the thing. There never was a soul converted or sanctified 
without the Spirit, and there never will be. He alone 
takes of the things that are Christ's and shows them unto 
us, or applies his benefits to our hearts. There never was 
a successful preacher whose word was not attended with 
the Spirit's influence, and there never can be ; sinners are 
dead in trespasses and in sins, and it requires the same 
power to raise them to spiritual life that raised Christ from 
the dead. Without the Spirit's influence, we might as well 
speak to these pillars as to men spiritually dead ; but with 
his attending influence, the ministry of the Gospel works 
wonders; "for it is the power of God unto salvation unto 
every one that belie veth." The Bible without the Spirit's 
influence is, to a great extent, a sealed book. "For the 
prophecy came not in old time by the will of man : but holy 
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy 
Ghost." The same light in which the revelation of God 
to man was written, is necessary in order to read it under- 



SER. XXXI.] BELIEVERS' PRIVILEGES AND OBLIGATION. 325 

standingly. We allow the written word is the rule of faith 
and practice, but many things therein spoken of is under- 
stood only by the illumination of the Spirit. For example, 
what does any one know of the witness of the Spirit, 
of joy in the Holy Ghost, who never felt it? What can 
any one understand of being "risen with Christ," or of a 
"life hid with Christ in God," whose heart has never been 
changed by the Holy Spirit? But to those who have this 
Spirit, what a glorious system of salvation is revealed in 
the Bible. We are sinners, but Christ died for us. We 
are spiritually dead, but by his Spirit, he quickens us unto 
life. We are dark, lost, in despair of any help in our- 
selves, but the Gospel, attended with the Spirit of all 
grace, comes to enlighten, instruct, strengthen, and com- 
fort us. We are depraved, but the blood of Jesus cleanseth 
us from all sin, and fills us with all the fullness of God, 
according to the power of the Spirit which worketh in us 
mightily through faith. 

II. All these privileges bring us under obligation to give 
glory to God. 

What a delightful exercise of the mind to render grateful 
acknowledgments to the Author of all our mercies — an 
exercise at once pleasing to God, and joyful to ourselves. 
"Unto him be glory." As to God's inherent, personal 
glory, it cannot be described, or even comprehended by us. 
What is called the visible glory of God, means that lumi- 
nous appearance, or body of brightness, which at sundry 
times was recognized by his ancient people. That glory 
appeared to Moses on the mount; it came down on the 
mercy seat in the temple; descended upon Jesus at the 
Jordan, and appeared to the disciples on the mount of trans- 
figuration. These, however, are mere reflections from the 
Sun of righteousness during the night of man's mortality, 
while a full view of the glory of God is reserved for the 
saints in heaven. The Lord possesses infinite glory in and 

28 



326 believers' privileges and obligation, [ser. XXXI. 

of himself, independently of his creatures, but it is their 
reasonable service to declare his glory, ascribing to him all 
wisdom, power, and goodness; and more especially it is 
our duty, as sinners saved by grace, to acknowledge that 
he is the source and author of all the good done in us and 
by us. A true work of grace is never ascribed, by its 
subject, to himself, or the minister, but to the Lord of all. 
It is natural for a soul just "born again" to say, "Glory to 
God;" and as often as he feels the same spirit of holiness 
and love through afterlife, he delights to say, "Unto him 
be glory." Some people think we say it too often and 
too loud ; but if we get to heaven we expect to say it much 
oftener and much louder there than we do here. 

"Unto him be glory in the Church," not the house 
of worship, but the body of believers assembled in the 
house. " The visible Church of Christ is a congregation 
of faithful men, in which the pure word of God is preached, 
and the sacraments duly administered according to Christ's 
ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite 
to the same." And as there are many such congregations, 
the apostles often used the term Churches ; but in our text, 
the word Church is to be understood in the general sense, 
to embrace all true believers of every age, every nation, and 
of all denominations of Christians. To the Church we 
must look for all the glory which is given to God on earth ; 
without the Church, we should soon have no Bible, no 
ministry, no Sabbath, no true piety, no means of grace; 
and, consequently, no well founded hope of heaven, and 
the exercise of praising God would cease among us. That 
we may have some more definite idea of what the text 
means, suppose a congregation of spiritual worshipers all 
in peace and fellowship, all doing their duty, preachers and 
people, with a revival of religion in progress, in which 
sinners are awakened and converted, backsliders reclaimed, 
and believers sanctified. What a scene of glory is here 



SER. XXXI.] BELIEVERS' PRIVILEGES AND OBLIGATION. 327 

displayed. This congregation constitutes a true Church. 
Now suppose the whole number of Christian congregations 
throughout the world to be in the same prosperous condi- 
tion, and you have what the text means where it says, 
" Unto him be glory in the Church." Again, suppose this 
work to go on till the world is converted, and you have at 
one general view the object of the glorious enterprise of the 
Gospel ministry spread out before the mind. 

All this work of glory is to be expected "by Christ 
Jesus." There is no access to the Father, for fallen man, 
but through the Son. "All things are delivered unto me 
of my Father; and no man knoweth the Son, but the 
Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the 
Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." All 
the blessings of the covenant of grace come down to us 
through Christ Jesus, and all our acts of worship, whether 
prayer or praise, must be offered up through him. That 
sermon, exhortation, prayer, song, or vow, which is offered 
on the altar of God without any reference to Christ, is not 
accepted; that proclamation of a governor, president, or 
king, recommending a day of fasting or thanksgiving to be 
publicly observed in worshiping assemblies, which makes 
no reference to the mediation of Christ, is only infidelity in 
disguise, baptized with the name of religion to take away 
its reproach. There is nothing in man on account of which 
he has any right to come into the presence of a holy God ; 
and there can be no acceptable worship offered to him on 
our part, but "by Christ Jesus," who says expressly, "No 
man cometh unto the Father, but by me." 

This work of giving glory to God is to go on " through- 
out all ages," that is, through all successive generations. 
God changes not. Our duty to him is always substantially 
the same. Man in all ages is alike depraved, helpless, and 
dependent. If every man, woman and child now on earth 
were converted, the next generation would need conversion 



328 believers' privileges and obligation, [seik XXXI. 

as much as we did, and our children and children's children 
will be brought under the same obligation to praise God 
that we now are under. The whole system of Gospel 
salvation will be perpetuated to the latest generations of 
men. Every thing wears out, except experimental relig- 
ion, but this never grows old. It has always been the same 
in its character, influence, and results, whether in the days 
of the apostles, of the martyrs, of the Reformers, of the 
Wesley s, or at the present time. It is the same among all 
nations where it exists at all, of every shade and every 
language, constituting them children of the Most High ; for 
all true converts to Christ have the Spirit of adoption sent 
forth into their hearts, whereby they cry, "Abba, Father." 
And this work of praising God will go on in this world 
while the sun shines, and water runs ; or in the language 
of the text, "Throughout all ages;" and then "world 
without end" in heaven, only in more glorious strains. 
Here the number of spiritual worshipers collected at any 
one place is comparatively small, but in heaven they form a 
"great multitude which no man can number." Here we 
are necessarily in a scattered condition, but there we shall 
all be together. Here we lose our pious friends, but there 
we shall find them again. In this world we meet seldom 
and part soon, but in heaven we shall meet to part no more. 
Here our religious meetings are short, few and far between, 
but there it will be our glorious privilege to serve and praise 
God together, 

" Where congregations ne'er break up, 
And Sabbaths never end;" 

and that without weariness of body or mind. " Now unto 
him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we 
ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto 
him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all 
ages, world without end. Amen." So may it be, so it 
should be, and so it will be. Halleluiah, praise ye the Lord. 



SER. XXXII.] GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 329 

SERMON XXXII. 

THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he 
was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his 
poverty might be rich," 2 Corinthians viii, 9. 

The temporal circumstances of men are vastly different. 
Some abound in the luxury of wealth, while others suffer 
all the inconvenience and mortification of abject poverty. 
It is true, we know but little of the sufferings of the poor 
in America compared with some foreign countries, both 
Christian and-heathen, especially the latter; but even here 
may be seen enough to show the contrast in the condition 
of the two classes. Examples are numerous. A stranger 
passing the best streets in any of our large cities, and 
observing the elegant houses, lofty steeples, glittering car- 
riages, and fine apparel displayed around him, might natur- 
ally suppose that wealth and luxury abounded among the 
people generally ; but if he would extend his observations 
a little farther, and learn the true condition of the poor as 
they live on the alleys, in garrets, cellars, and shantees, 
without employment, perhaps sick, distressed for rent, half 
naked, with scarce food enough to sustain life, or fuel to 
keep them from freezing, his mistake would be at once 
corrected. 

This state of things is not the result of blind chance ; 
nor is it in all cases the result of fraud on one hand, or of 
idleness and prodigality on the other; divine Providence 
has much to do with the temporal condition of men, though 
not in such a manner as to destroy their volition or 
accountability. We allow that some individuals may 
obtain their fortune by fraudulent speculation, but it does 
not stay long with them, for the curse of God is upon them 
and their estate ; but at the same time there is a sense in 
which the Scripture is true, which says, "Riches are from 
28* 



330 GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. £sER. XXXII. 

the Lord," that is, God bestows wealth as the natural fruit 
of industry, care, and economy. It is also admitted on the 
other hand, that the poverty of some people is a just pun- 
ishment on them for their idleness, extravagance, and dissi- 
pation; "For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to 
poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags." 
Still there are many very poor persons and families that 
cannot be justly charged with either of these faults ; their 
poverty is occasioned by fire, or flood, or sickness, or some 
other circumstance beyond their control. It is written in 
the book of Samuel, " The Lord maketh poor, and maketh 
rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up." And in this dis- 
pensation of his providence may be traced the wisdom and 
goodness of God, as it affords ample opportunity for the 
exercise of charity, gratitude, and mutual good feeling 
of both classes toward each other. Solomon said, "The 
rich and poor meet together : the Lord is the maker of them 
all." It is not the will of our heavenly Father that the 
poor should envy the rich, or the rich despise the poor, but 
that they should mutually serve each other ; one by aiding 
in the performance of necessary labor, and the other by 
affording needful support. Jesus said to his disciples, 
"The poor ye have always with you; but me ye have not 
always." The time for showing kindness to the Savior in 
person has passed by, but he has left the poor among us as 
his representatives, and any favor shown them for his sake, 
will be acknowledged by him at the last day as if conferred 
on himself. To such as feed the hungry, clothe the naked, 
lodge the stranger, and visit, the sick, the King will then 
say, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least 
of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." 

By reading the whole argument of the apostle, it will be 
observed that he was here pleading the cause of the suffer- 
ing poor, urging those in better condition to the duty 
of charity, as a proof of the sincerity of their love, and to 



SER. XXXII.] GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 331 

encourage them to the performance of it, he referred them, 
in the language of the text, to the example of the Savior, 
" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that 
though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, 
that ye through his poverty might be rich." While speak- 
ing for a few minutes on this delightful theme, we shall 
notice, 

I. The character of our glorious Benefactor. 

His titles will first claim attention. In a subordinate 
sense, there are "lords many and gods many," but there is 
only one true and living God, the creator and preserver 
of all things, -and " our Lord Jesus Christ" is he; for Paul 
said, " All things were created by him, and for him." All 
titles of supremacy belong to him. He is "King of kings, 
and Lord of lords ;" " Head over all things to the Church ;" 
" Over all, God blessed for ever." Isaiah calls him, " The 
mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace." 
Paul styles him, " The great God, and our Savior Jesus 
Christ." John speaks of him as "the true God, and eter- 
nal life." Jude pronounces him to be " the only wise God 
our Savior;" and Christ, in the first chapter of Revelation, 
calls himself, "the Almighty." We may conclude our 
references on this point in the language of Paul to Timothy, 
"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only 
wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever." 

The next title in the text by which he is designated is 
Jesus, which means Savior. The angel said to Joseph, 
concerning Mary, "And she shall bring forth a son, and 
thou shalt call his name Jesus : for he shall save his people 
from their sins." Yes, he shall save his believing people 
from the guilt, power, love, pollution and misery of sin; 
for he is the one mighty to save, and strong to redeem. 
Jesus is the name which is above every name, the sweetest 
name that mortals ever heard, the sound of which is suf- 



332 GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. [sER. XXXII. 

ficient to make sinners weep and saints rejoice. Well may 
we sing, 

" Jesus ! — the Name that charms our fears, 

That bids our sorrows cease ; 
'Tis music in the sinner's ears, 

"Tis life, and health, and peace. 

He breaks the power of cancell'd sin, 

He sets the prisoner free ; 
His blood can make the foulest clean ; 

His blood avail'd for me." 

He is also in the text called Christ, which signifies the 
anointed of the Father, the promised Messiah, the desire 
of all nations. He was "anointed with the oil of gladness 
above his fellows," that is, with the Holy Ghost as man 
was never anointed, to be our Prophet, Priest, and King, 
to teach, atone for, and rule over us. He was "the im- 
mortal Son of God, the mortal son of man," and the only 
mediator between God and man. It was not by accident, 
or human fancy, that the object of the Christian's faith was 
called "our Lord Jesus Christ." Paulhere spake as he 
was moved by the Holy Ghost, for the purpose of present- 
ing his whole character as God, man, mediator to the mind 
at one general view, that we might believe in him unto 
salvation. 

The next point in order of the subject is the grace of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, as exhibited in the work of man's 
redemption. In this stupendous act of mercy is manifested 
the unbounded benevolence and goodness of God. " Herein 
is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and 
sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Jesus 
truly said, " Greater love hath no man than this, that a man 
lay down his life for his friends ;" but the love of our Savior 
is far greater, for he laid down his life for his enemies. 
" God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we 
were yet sinners, Christ died for us ;" yea, "for when we 
were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the 



SER. XXXII.] GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 333 

ungodly." From this testimony, it is evident, that those 
for whom Jesus laid down his life were not loyal subjects, 
obedient servants, affectionate children, or faithful friends, 
but ungodly sinners. He came not to call the righteous, 
but sinners to repentance : he came to seek and to save that 
which was lost, not to benefit himself, but to impart life and 
happiness to them. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ had no occasion to extend his 
dominions, and increase his subjects by redeeming rebel 
man, on his own account; for he was rich in a more 
important sense than the term applies to any creature. To 
speak of the riches of man is an easy matter, his wealth 
consists of money and property, which are things seen and 
understood, and the value of them may be ascertained ; but 
who can estimate the estate of the Son of God? The gold 
and silver are his, he made and owns the mines whence 
they come ; the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof, 
and the cattle upon a thousand hills ; all souls are his, for 
he created them ; his dominions are to the ends of the earth, 
and beyond them, embracing all space, all substance, all 
intelligent beings as his subjects, and among others the 
shining ranks of angels, those sons of God that shouted 
for joy when the foundations of the earth were laid. But 
what is all his estate in material things, and in living 
creatures, compared to his personal, inherent glory, which 
illuminates "the abode of angels and God." He is the 
source of all perfection, all light, life, power, purity, and 
consolation; insomuch, that when he was about to leave 
the earth and return to his holy heaven, the sum of all he 
asked was, to be glorified with that glory which he had 
with the Father before the world was. 

Yet all this was not too much for him to forego in order to 
save miserable sinners from endless destruction; "Though 
he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor." The 
idea here suggested is not that he ceased to be what he was, 



334 GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. [sER. XXXII. 

but that he became what he was not. He was God before, 
and never could cease to be God ; but he became man also, 
took not on him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abra- 
ham; was sent "in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, 
condemned sin in the flesh." Thus, he emptied himself 
of the divine fullness, or concealed under the cover of hu- 
manity the effulgence of his glory, and became "a man 
of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." The incarnation 
and humiliation of Christ is beautifully and forcibly expres- 
sed by the apostle in these words: "Let this mind be in 
you, which was also in Christ Jesus : who, being in the 
form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God : 
but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the 
form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 
and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, 
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the 
cross." 

It is clear from the sacred Scriptures, that the Son 
of God not only took our nature, but also our circum- 
stances in humble life; he said, "I am among you as one 
that serveth." Let it be here remembered that our Lord 
served, not among kings, but fishermen, depriving himself 
not only of the luxuries, but many of the comforts of life. 
Though in one sense, already explained, he owned the 
universe, yet as man he claimed nothing, held no property 
among men, no land, no house, or personal effects, not so 
much as an animal to carry him, for he journeyed on foot 
from place to place to preach the Gospel to the poor. On 
one occasion he said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds 
of the air have nests ; but the Son of man hath not where 
to lay his head." Often was he wet and weary, cold and 
hungry, or hot and thirsty, a houseless, homeless, friend- 
less wanderer. But he had opposition and persecution in 
abundance, his enemies vilified and mocked, blasphemed 
and stoned him, so that the prophet said, "His visage was 



SER. XXXII.] GRACE OF OTJR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 335 

so marred more than any man, and his form more than the 
sons of men." This opposition was not confined to the vul- 
gar classes of men, the rulers conducted him through the 
formalities of a mock trial, and condemned him without cause. 
They then scourged him with rugged whips, until the 
ploughers ploughed long furrows in his flesh. Next, they 
blindfolded him, then smote him with the fist of wicked- 
ness, and said, prophesy unto us who it was that smote thee. 
Moreover, they clothed him in scarlet, crowned him with 
thorns, put a reed in his hand for asceptre, bowed the knee 
in mock worship before him, and said, " Hail, King of the 
Jews!" and again resorted to spitting, smiting, and other 
indignities upon his person. Finally, he suffered at their 
hands the excruciating death of crucifixion, attended with 
such severity of pain as caused all nature to feel. The 
solid rocks were rent asunder, the graves were opened, and 
the repose of the dead was broken, the heavens above were 
shrouded in darkness, and the earth trembled beneath the 
feet of its guilty inhabitants, while Jesus said, " It is fin- 
ished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." 

But all this, be it remembered, was voluntarily submitted 
to on his part. His enemies had no power over him, ex- 
cept what was given them from above. Jesus said express- 
ly, "I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No 
man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have 
power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again;" 
which was abundantly established by his resurrection. 
Christ was God manifested in the flesh to destroy the 
works of the devil. While his enemies were inflicting 
insult and torture upon him, had he been disposed, with 
one frown, he could have sunk them all to hell in a 
moment; but instead of that, he chose to say, "Father, 
forgive them ; for they know not what they do." With 
one exertion of his almighty power, he could have dashed 
the earth to atoms, as easily as he spake it into being; but 



336 GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS. CHRIST. [sER. XXXII. 

he came not to destroy the world, but to save its guilty- 
inhabitants. The object of his suffering and death was 
foretold by the prophet Isaiah. "He is despised and 
rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with 
grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him ; he was 
despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne 
our griefs, and carried our sorrows : yet we did esteem 
him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was 
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our 
iniquities ; the chastisement of our peace was upon him ; 
and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have 
gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; 
and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." 

When he was dead, there was no estate left to be 
administered on ; he had nothing but the garments he wore. 
These the soldiers divided among themselves ; and for his 
vesture, or robe, they cast lots. There was nothing left 
with which to pay funeral expenses in whole or in part. 
His shroud and sepulchre were furnished gratuitously by 
Joseph, a disciple of Christ, and member of the Jewish 
council. Now, from this brief outline may be gathered 
something of the meaning of the words before us, "For 
ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though 
he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor." Such is 
our glorious Benefactor. 

II. The benefits which he confers. 

It is proper to notice here the character entitled to the 
benefaction. Such as trust in Christ only for salvation, and 
manifest their faith by suitable obedience, or such as can 
truly and from heart-felt experience call him "our Lord 
Jesus Christ." You may admire him as the Redeemer 
of men, as the Friend of sinners and Savior of the world, 
but do ye love him as your Savior? Do ye believe in him 
with the heart unto righteousness ? We cannot reasonably 
or Scripturally expect to be the heirs of Christ, unless we 



SER. XXXII.] GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 337 

become his children. Paul says, " The Spirit itself beareth 
witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 
and if children, then heirs: heirs of God, and joint-heirs 
with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may 
be also glorified together." 

To those who fill the above character, the promise in the 
text is, "That ye through his poverty might be rich." 
Here again the two-fold character of our benefactor as God 
and man is indirectly brought to view. By no possible rule 
of ordinary business transaction, could the poverty of one 
man make another man rich, for the stream can rise no 
higher than the fountain. And if Christ were a mere 
creature, his poverty could enrich no one in any proper or 
important sense of the term. But he is "Emmanuel, 
which being interpreted is, God with us ;" and his poverty, 
as expressed in the text, means his voluntary humiliation, 
suffering, and death, as the great sacrificial offering for the 
sins of the whole world. Again, this promise to make us 
rich, implies our own poverty. Without the free, un- 
merited grace of Christ, we have nothing but sin and pov- 
erty, we are "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and 
blind, and naked;" of course the blessing promised in the 
text is essential to our present and everlasting welfare. 

In what sense believers in Christ become rich may be 
learned in the epistle of James. " Hearken, my beloved 
brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich 
in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised 
to them that love him?" From this testimony, it appears, 
that the riches which God's people obtain through Christ's 
poverty, are the riches of faith, not of things that perish, 
but of a more " enduring substance." What a fortune is 
here offered to us, without money and without price. The 
riches of faith include the Gospel with all its privileges, 
the Christian Church with all her ordinances, and the fel- 
lowship of saints with all its consolations. Truly, the 



338 GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. [sER. XXXII. 

lines have fallen to us in pleasant places, and the Lord hath 
appointed to us a goodly heritage; for we live in a land 
of Bibles, a land of Churches, a land of Sabbaths, and a 
land of revivals. 

Again, the riches of faith comprehend experimental 
religion. This is the "pearl of great price," over which 
the owner and possessor of it may truly rejoice. It is a 
treasure which imparts "joy unspeakable and full of glory." 
It satisfies our most enlarged desires, is imperishable, and 
will be available when all things else shall fail to administer 
consolation. It is a treasure which time cannot waste, 
moth and rust cannot corrupt, thieves cannot break through 
and steal, fire cannot burn, water cannot overpower, and 
death itself cannot destroy. Those who enjoy experimental 
religion, and are careful not to cast away their confidence, 
have a treasure laid up in heaven, a bank that never fails, 
whose charter never expires, and which never suspends 
specie payments. Every Gospel promise is a check on 
that bank, and whenever indorsed by the Spirit, and pre- 
sented by the prayer of faith, will draw the specie, not the 
gold that perishes, but the " gold tried in the fire ;" that is, 
the love of God, which is sweeter than life, and stronger 
than death. 

Finally, the riches of faith include the kingdom of glory. 
This world is not our permanent place of abode, and we 
have much reason to be glad of it ; for it is polluted with 
sin, and devoted to destruction. The decree has long since 
passed in the court of heaven, and will be executed in due 
time, that this terrestrial habitation of fallen man shall be 
destroyed by fire. " But the day of the Lord will come as 
a thief in the night ; in the which the heavens shall pass 
away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with 
fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein 
shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall 
be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all 



SER. XXXII.] GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 339 

holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto 
the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being 
on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with 
fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, 
look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth 
righteousness." The new heavens and the new earth are 
the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love 
him, and that kingdom will be their final home. Surely 
those who receive that kingdom will be rich enough. Do 
we consider a man wealthy who has gold in abundance? 
There the streets are paved with it. Would we think a 
man rich who should own the city of Cincinnati? What 
is this city compared to the New Jerusalem, with its twelve 
gates and twelve foundations of precious stones, its spacious 
streets and broad rivers, ornamented with thrones of ivory, 
shaded with the tree of life, populated by countless myriads 
of redeemed and happy spirits, and the whole illuminated 
by the eternal splendors of the Son of God. Now, all this, 
and ten thousand times more than we can describe, shall 
be the certain inheritance of every faithful child of God. 
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that 
though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, 
that ye through his poverty might be rich." 

In conclusion, we would add a few words for the benefit 
of those who are yet strangers to "the unsearchable riches 
of Christ." The love of wealth is one of the strongest 
passions of the human heart. To gain the riches that 
perish, men will plan and toil, late and early. They will 
make land tours and sea voyages, at the sacrifice of ease, 
of home and friends, and at the risk of health and life. 
And after all, only a few of them succeed ; and such as are 
successful, hold their estates by an uncertain tenure, and 
that for only a short period, when death comes and takes 
them out of the world as poor as they came into it; "For 
we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can 



340 FAITH IN CHRIST. [sER. XXXIII. 

carry nothing out." But there is a weli-tried plan by 
which you can, in a short time, secure a fortune that will 
last for ever. The Gospel market is now open, and free to 
every child of man. Here are " the true riches," and they 
can be obtained on easy terms. Grace makes no hard con- 
dition. It is only to look and live, believe and be saved 
The poor can come as well as the rich. The Lord said by 
the prophet Isaiah, " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye 
to the waters, and he that hath no money ; come ye, buy, 
and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money 
and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that 
which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth 
not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is 
good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." 



SERMON XXXIII. 

FAITH IN CHRIST. 

" Let not your heart be troubled : ye believe in God, believe also in 
me. In my Father's house are many mansions : if it were not so, I 
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go 
and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto 
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also," John xiv, 1, 2, 3. 

Jesus spake these words to comfort his disciples when 
they were greatly troubled. The immediate cause of their 
distress was the intelligence which they had just received 
from himself, that he was about to leave them, which he 
communicated in the following terms: "Little children, 
yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me ; and, 
as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come, so 
now I say to you." By this declaration they understood 
him correctly to signify, that he was about to depart out 
of this world, on account .of which sorrow filled their 
hearts. But the tender-hearted Savior proceeded to ad- 
minister to their wounded spirits the cordial in the text, the 



SER. XXXIII.] FAITH IN CHRIST. 341 

purport of which is : Little children, let not your heart be 
troubled on account of my leaving you : as ye believe in 
the Father, believe also in me his Son, and your Savior, 
and ye shall not be disappointed. Though I leave you 
now, it is for your benefit, to prepare a place for you, and 
when that is done, I will in due time return and take you 
to my Father's house, that ye may be with me, and for 
ever behold my glory. From these most impressive and 
consolatory words of our Lord and Savior, we shall raise 
and endeavor to sustain the following general propositions : 

I. They who are destitute of saving faith in Christ are 
unhappy. 

II. They who have saving faith in Christ are comforted. 

III. To such as have and retain this faith, a glorious 
inheritance is promised. 

I. Our remarks apply to those who have arisen to years 
of understanding and accountability, and live in a Gospel 
land. With this qualification, we say, that all they who 
are destitute of saving faith in Christ, whatever else they 
may believe, or do, are unhappy. Belief in one true and 
living God, without an interest in his Son, does not, and 
cannot make any individual happy ; and for the following, 
amongst other reasons : They who believe in God in any 
intelligent or important sense, found that belief on the reve- 
lation that he has made of himself to man, which is the 
only satisfactory means of information respecting his name 
and character. Consequently, they allow him to be what 
the Bible teaches, not only a God of wisdom, mercy, love, 
and long-suffering goodness, but also a God of power, jus- 
tice, holiness, and truth; or as he proclaimed himself to 
Moses, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, 
long-sufTering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping 
mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, 
and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty." This 
last view of the divine character, that he will by no means 
29*" 



342 FAITH IN CHRIST. [sER. XXXIII. 

clear the guilty, is what kills the joy, and blasts the hope 
of the impenitent sinner. James said, "Thou believest 
that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also 
believe, and tremble." Now, as belief in one God, without 
an interest in his Son, makes devils tremble, so may it 
cause sinners to tremble, but cannot make them happy. 

So unhappy are men under the influence of that infi- 
delity, which admits the existence of a Great First Cause, 
but rejects Christ and his salvation, that many of them have 
sought relief in a summary way, by denying the existence 
of any Supreme Being. Strange as it may appear, it is 
nevertheless true, that even in this Christian country and this 
Gospel day, men have acted the part of David's fool, who 
"said in his heart, There is no God." This system, how- 
ever, has its difficulties, no less than the one above named. 
It is difficult, if not impossible, for men to become estab- 
lished in the belief that there is no God ; for in whatever 
direction they turn their eyes, they behold the certain 
indications of his infinite wisdom, power, and goodness. 
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firma- 
ment showeth his handy work. Day unto day uttereth 
speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There 
is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words 
to the end of the world." But suppose, for argument's 
sake, that they could establish themselves firmly in the 
notion, that there is no God, it would not afford the desired 
relief. Is there any consolation in the thought that there is 
no Supreme Being, and consequently in the supposition 
that the world came by chance, that the universe was 
organized by accident, and that hitherto it has been per- 
petuated only by blind fatality? Certainly not. What 
security have they, who deny, the existence of God, that 
winter and summer, spring and autumn, seed time and 
harvest, day and night, will continue in regular succession, 



SER. XXXIII.] FAITH IN CHRIST. 343 

or that the universe will not break into confusion, and end 
in destruction? He alone appoints and regulates "the 
times and the seasons." And, beside all this, when we 
have admitted that there is no God, then to be con- 
sistent, and carry out the doctrine, we must admit much 
more: like the ancient Sadducees, and the modern mate- 
rialists, we must deny the existence of angels and spirits, 
the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, 
and the whole doctrine of man's future state ; and, conse- 
quently, that when we die and return to dust, that is the 
end of our entire history: we shall have no conscious 
existence, will know no being in the universe, and no 
being will have knowledge of us: our present existence 
will become a perfect blank, as though we never had been. 
Now, to a rational, intelligent mind, this idea of sinking 
into non-existence, is perhaps the most terrific thought that 
can be entertained, except that of lying down in everlasting 
sorrow, where hope never comes. Hence, infidelity, 
whether in the form of deism or atheism, leaves its votaries 
and subjects unhappy. 

Again, the orthodox sinner, who professes to believe all 
the principles and precepts of Christianity, but practices 
none of them, is, if possible, more miserable than his scep- 
tical neighbor, because his own principles condemn him. 
He professes to believe in God, the creator and ruler of the 
universe, but does not admit the right of that God to govern 
him. On the contrary, all his actions virtually say, as did 
the wicked in Job's day, " What is the Almighty, that we 
should serve him ? and what profit should we have, if we 
pray unto him?" He admits himself to be a poor sinner, 
but infers nothing from that fact, only that he is thereby 
excused for neglecting all his religious duties. He pro- 
fesses to believe in Christ as the friend of sinners, and 
Savior of the world, yet he will not have him for his 
Savior. He admits that, "Except a man be born again, 



344 FAITH IN CHRIST. [sER. XXXIII. 

he cannot see the kingdom of God," and yet he is content 
to remain an unregenerate child of nature. He allows, 
also, that "without holiness no man shall see the Lord" in 
peace, still he lives in sin. He believes, he says, in a 
general judgment, where the secrets of all hearts shall be 
disclosed, but makes no preparation for that awful scrutiny. 
He believes there is a heaven of endless joys for the righ- 
teous, but uses no effort to obtain it; and he allows there is 
a hell of endless torments for the wicked, but makes no 
exertion to escape it. Hence, out of his own mouth, God 
will judge him. And now we ask how much better off is 
this orthodox sinner, so far as present happiness, or a pros- 
pect of future bliss is concerned, than the deist or atheist? 
Nay, in one view of the subject, at least, his condition is 
worse : that is, his professed belief leaves him without the 
shadow of an excuse. Let him hear the words of Jesus, 
" And that servant which knew his lord's will, and prepared 
not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten 
with many stripes." 

However miserable men render themselves by sin and 
the willful rejection of the Savior, they all desire, and seek 
to be happy ; but, unfortunately, their depravity leads them 
in the wrong direction. They are willing to travel every 
road in pursuit of felicity, except the only one which leads 
to it: that is, the way of holiness, which is open to such, 
and only such as believe in Christ with a heart unto righ- 
teousness. Some seek happiness in the pursuit of wealth. 
" But they that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a 
snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown 
men in destruction and perdition." Others seek happiness 
in the pleasures of the world, so called, resorting to theatres, 
horse-races, and dancing parties ; having recourse also to 
cards, excursions of pleasure, and places of fashionable 
dissipation; but the result of the whole is, "Vanity and 
vexation of spirit." Ignorant and vitiated minds may feed 



SER. XXXIII.] FAITH IN CHRIST. 345 

on such husks as these, but they afford no mental nourish- 
ment to intelligent and virtuous people, much less to such as 
fear God and strive to work righteousness. When the irre- 
ligious have tried these means and all others in their reach, 
except the right one, without success, and still feel unhap- 
py, they frequently commence a course of vain wishing. 
Some wish for political distinction, and others for retire- 
ment; one for the bustle of the city, and another for the 
silence of the desert; one longs to travel, and another to 
rest. When they allow themselves to think of death and 
futurity, one wishes to live as long as life can be enjoyed, 
and then to die suddenly and unexpectedly ; while another 
prefers to die of slow consumption, that he may not be, 
without due notice and time for preparation, hurried before 
the Judge of all the earth. One wishes that he had been 
born among heathens, and not held accountable for the 
abuse of Gospel privileges; and another in his extremity 
wishes that he had never been born. Now, what do all 
these plans, experiments, and vain wishes of those who 
reject the Gospel amount to, but a practical comment on 
the words of the prophet Isaiah ? " But the wicked are like 
the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up 
mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the 
wicked." Thus, it is evident to all who look into the 
subject, that they who are destitute of saving faith in Christ 
are unhappy. 

II. They who have saving faith in him are comforted. 

By saving faith in Christ, we mean that faith which 
receives him in all his offices, especially as mediator, and 
that trusts in him without reserve, as our only and all-suf- 
ficient Savior, for present pardon and everlasting life. It is 
"the faith of the operation of God," by which the apostle 
means the faith which can be exerted only under the Spirit's 
influence. Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that God 
would count them worthy of being called home at the 



346 FAITH IN CHRIST. fsER. XXXIII. 

appearance of Christ; and to that end, that he would fulfill 
in them all the good pleasure of his goodness, "and the 
work of faith with power." We know that men can yield 
a cold assent to the abstract truths of the Gospel from the 
force of external evidence, without any special divine influ- 
ence ; but that assent neither changes the heart nor reforms 
the life. The faith which saves the soul, is of the opera- 
tion of God, and by him fulfilled with power; and, conse- 
quently, that faith is not of ourselves, but is the gift of God. 
"For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not 
of yourselves : it is the gift of God : not of works, lest any 
man should boast." It does not follow, that because saving 
faith is the gift of God, we can innocently remain in unbe- 
lief. He is ready to bestow that gift on all who sincerely 
ask for it, and use the means of grace. "Faith cometh by 
hearing, and hearing by the word of God." 

This general view of the subject of saving faith in Christ, 
is sustained by his own words in the context. "Jesus 
saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life : 
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Jesus is the 
way of salvation, the truth of the promises to believers, as 
well as the substance of all the types and shadows of the 
old dispensation, and he is the life of the soul. When we 
consider Jesus as the way of salvation, there is one point to 
be kept prominently and constantly in view ; namely, that 
his sacrificial death as God, man, mediator, is the only 
possible ground of the sinner's hope, that in him alone 
"we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness 
of sins, according to the riches of his grace." He says 
himself, " No man cometh unto the Father, but by me." 
When we consider him as the truth, he must be regarded 
as the great antitype, or real substance, to which all the 
types and shadows of the old dispensation referred, and in 
whom they were fulfilled, "Having abolished in his flesh 
the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in 



SER. XXXIII.] FAITH IN CHRIST. 347 

ordinances." He must also be regarded as the truth of all 
the "exceeding great and precious promises" of the Gospel 
to believers. Paul says, "He is the mediator of a better 
covenant, which was established upon better promises," or 
promises of more glorious things than those of the old 
covenant. These better promises made in Christ to the 
believer are direct and certain. "For all the promises 
of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory 
of God by us." On these we should rely with the utmost 
confidence; for "what his mouth, in truth hath said, his 
own almighty hand shall do." And when we consider him 
as the life, he must be regarded as the author of spiritual 
life. Paul said to the Ephesians, " And you hath he quick- 
ened, (brought to life,) who were dead in trespasses and 
sins." The same is true of all who have saving faith, 
being "dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through 
Jesus Christ our Lord." This doctrine of spiritual life 
through faith in Christ, was beautifully expressed by Paul, 
as realized in his own experience. "I am crucified with 
Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in 
me : and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by 
the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave him- 
self for me." To sum all up here in a few words, they 
who believe in Jesus as the way of salvation are saved; 
they have a present salvation from the guilt, power, and 
misery of sin : they who believe in him as the truth, have 
the evidence that they are saved, the direct witness of the 
Spirit : and they who believe in him as the life, have that 
principle of grace implanted in the heart, which, if properly 
cultivated, will result in an eternal life in heaven; for Jesus 
said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on 
me hath everlasting life." 

They who have this faith in lively exercise, are greatly 
comforted; they have consolation to which the natural 
man is a stranger. Paul prayed that the brethren might be 



348 FAITH IN CHRIST. [SER. XXXIII. 

filled "with all joy and peace in believing." When Peter 
describes the consolation of believing in Christ, he uses 
strong words, yet not stronger than true. " Whom having 
not seen, ye love ; in whom, though now ye see him not, 
yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full 
of glory : receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation 
of your souls." No comment on this text is necessary for 
those who enjoy heart-felt religion, because they under- 
stand it experimentally ; and to those who never felt that 
religion, a full explanation by us is impossible; for it is 
"joy unspeakable," or indescribable, and this must be our 
apology for not explaining it better. "I wish," says an 
unregenerate hearer, " the preacher would tell me exactly 
how a soul feels when first converted, and explain precisely 
how the believer feels when he has 'joy in the Holy 
Ghost.' " We beg to be excused. It cannot be done. 

" Tongue cannot express the sweet comfort and peace, 
Of a soul in its earliest love." 

And if he hold fast the beginning of his confidence, what 
follows, is "joy unspeakable, and full of glory." But 
because we cannot explain the " exceeding great joy" of 
the believer to the understanding of the natural man, it is 
not therefore to be inferred that it is all- imaginary. As 
well might a blind man doubt the distinction of colors, 
because he cannot discern the difference between blue and 
red, as for the unregenerate man to doubt the existence 
of heart-felt religion, because he cannot comprehend its 
operations, and feel its consolations. Every individual 
that is converted, and possesses saving faith, feels and 
knows it ; but plain as it is to himself, he cannot explain it 
to those who have eyes but cannot see, ears but cannot hear, 
and a heart but cannot understand. This doctrine is clearly 
and forcibly stated by Paul to the Corinthians in these 
words: " But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear 
heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things 



SER. XXXIII.] FAITH IN CHRIST. 349 

which God hath prepared for them that love him. But 
God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the 
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit 
of man which is in him? even so the things of God know- 
eth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, 
not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; 
that we might know the things that are freely given to us 
of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words 
which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost 
teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But 
the natural -man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of 
God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he 
know them, because they are spiritually discerned." The 
substance of the apostle's testimony is briefly this : While 
God, by his Spirit, reveals in the believer's heart the conso- 
lations of saving grace, the natural man comprehends them 
not, which accords perfectly with the testimony of David. 
"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and 
he will show them his covenant." As they who never ate 
honey know not its sweetness, so they who are strangers 
to grace understand not its consolations, which are like 
honey from the rock, "Sweeter also than honey and the 
honey comb." But ye may all obtain a saving knowledge 
of "the things of God" as we did, by prayer and suppli- 
cation in the name of Jesus, nothing doubting: when the 
Lord, by his Spirit, answers for himself, then will ye know 
more of experimental religion in one day, than we could 
tell you in a life-time. We close our remarks on this point 
in the language of the Psalmist, " O taste and see that the 
Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." 

III. To those who have and retain the faith of Christ, a 
glorious inheritance is promised. 

If required to explain what that inheritance is in the 
fewest and most general terms, we would say, an ever- 

30 



350 FAITH IN CHRIST. [sER. XXXIII. 

lasting home in heaven. However, we shall avail ourselves 
of the suggestions in the text, and show, first, that heaven 
is not a state or condition merely, but a place. In doing 
this, we have no need of speculation; the fact is sufficiently 
plain on the face of the text, both by declaration and 
promise. Jesus says, "I go to prepare a place for you;" 
and he calls things by their right names. The same thing 
is plainly implied in the promise: "And if I go and pre- 
pare a place for you, I will come again and receive you 
unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." 

The figures employed by the inspired writers to explain 
heaven authorize the conclusion that it is a place, or local 
habitation. For example, heaven is compared to a house : 
"In my Father's house are many mansions," said Jesus. 
Paul used the same figure, when he said to the Corinthians, 
"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle 
were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not 
made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 

Heaven is also called a "city which hath foundations, 
whose builder and maker is God." There is a full and 
glowing description of this city in the book of Revelation, 
from which we learn that it is twelve thousand furlongs, or 
fifteen hundred miles square, the length, width, and height 
thereof being equal ; that it hath a wall great and high, 
resting on twelve foundations of every variety of precious 
stones ; that it is entered by twelve gates of pearl, three on 
either side, " and the street of the city was pure gold, as it 
were transparent glass." * * * "And the city had no 
need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the 
glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light 
thereof." Now, this city, let it be observed, is only the 
metropolis of our Father's empire. 

Again, heaven is called a country. The apostle, after 
describing Abraham and his posterity, who by faith 
sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, 



SER. XXXIII.] FAITH IN CHRIST. 351 

says, "These all died in faith, not having received the 
promises, but having seen them affar off, and were per- 
suaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that 
they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they 
that say such things declare plainly that they seek a coun- 
try. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country 
from whence they came out, they might have had oppor- 
tunity to have returned. But now they desire a better 
country, that is, a heavenly : wherefore God is not ashamed 
to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a 
city." After all we have seen, heard, and read of new and 
old countries, we believe heaven is the best country in the 
universe ; and it is difficult to understand why all the people 
are not inclined to seek a home in that promised land. If 
we were authorized to make proclamation here to-day in 
good faith, under sanction of the President's seal, that 
beyond the Mississippi there is a very extensive reserva- 
tion of rich land, which brings forth spontaneously all the 
comforts of life, where the climate is always mild, pleasant, 
and healthy, where the people reside in perfect peace and 
pleasure, without war or litigation, toil or sickness, and 
live to be as old as the patriarchs before the flood, and that 
every individual who will emigrate to that country shall 
receive, gratuitously, an ample inheritance, would we not 
all be inclined to go ? Certainly. Well then, the ambas- 
sadors of Christ are authorized, by a commission from the 
court of heaven, under the broad seal of the Holy Ghost, to 
make proclamation here constantly of a far better country 
than the one above described, which lies just across the 
Jordan of death, in the peaceful dominions of the King 
of kings, where we are all invited without money and 
without price, "to an inheritance incorruptible, and unde- 
filed, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for 
you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto 
salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time." That 



352 FAITH IN CHRIST. [SER. XXXIII. 

country is already peopled by happy millions ; still there is 
room enough and to spare. Many of our best friends are 
there, waiting our arrival. Others are daily embarking for 
the port of endless life. Here are some who just begin to 
think seriously of quitting this land of sin and sorrow, and 
removing to the upper and better country. Others have 
actually sold out, and are now on the way. Come, fellow 
sinner, and go with us, we are journeying to the promised 
land, and soon we expect to see the King in his beauty, 
and the land that is very far off. 

Perhaps ye would wish to hear some farther particulars 
of the place. Is the heavenly country situated in a pleasant 
climate ? We are authorized to say there are no extremes 
of heat or cold, wet or dry seasons, or blasted harvests in 
that country. "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst 
any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any 
heat." Is it a well-watered country? "And he showed 
me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding 
out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." This fountain 
which breaks from the Rock of ages, deep, and broad, and 
clear, to water the whole city and surrounding country, not 
only supersedes thirst, but is the " water of life." Is it a 
fruitful country? "In the midst of the street of it, and on 
either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which 
bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every 
month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing 
of the nations." Several distinct ideas are here embodied. 
The fruit is abundant everywhere, and accessible to all "on 
either side of the river:" it affords variety, "twelve man- 
ner of fruits:" the supply is certain and constant, "every 
month:" and, finally, the tree on which it grows can 
never die, it is "the tree of life." Does the heavenly 
country afford good society? "And there shall in no wise 
enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever 
worketh abomination, or maketh a lie ; but they which are 



SER. XXXIII.] FAITH IN CHRIST. 353 

written in the Lamb's book of life." Of course, there will 
be no unhallowed passions to rankle in the bosom of any 
individual, where none but "the pure in heart" are admit- 
ted ; there will be no family broils, neighborhood conten- 
tions, angry litigation, lawless mobs, or bloody war, but all 
will be calm, peaceful, and happy for ever. Is it a healthy 
country? We answer in the language of Isaiah, "The 
inhabitants shall not say, I am sick." No hollow cough 
or hectic glow, no racking pain or burning fever, or any 
other disease will ever prey upon the citizens of heaven. 
Are the people of that country long-lived ? They live for 
ever. Death, in that region, is an eternal stranger, and the 
evils which produce death, and the sorrows consequent 
upon its ravages, are also excluded. "And God shall wipe 
away all tears from their eyes ; and there shall be no more 
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be 
any more pain: for the former things are passed away." 

Moreover, when we arrive in that country we shall find 
habitations fitted up for our reception. In this world we 
can have houses, provided we have money to buy or build 
them; but there, whether rich or poor, we shall all find 
splendid apartments ready for our use. Jesus says, "I go 
to prepare a place for you," for all his disciples. And a 
glorious place it will be; for he says, "In my Father's 
house are many mansions," habitations of kings. The 
building occupied by a common citizen, we call house ; but 
that occupied by a president or king, we call mansion. 
Are we experimental and practical Christians ? Then we 
belong to the royal family of heaven. Our Father is the 
King of kings, and Lord of lords; and in his house "are 
many mansions," suited to the dignity of his children. 
There the Christian, now a pilgrim and a stranger on earth, 
as all his fathers were, will find his everlasting home. 
The mere thought of getting there, to mingle with all his 
Father's children, often causes him to hold up his head and 



?A } 



354 FAITH IN CHRIST. [sER. XXXIII. 

rejoice. While the wealthy of this world enjoy their costly 
habitations, he, though as poor as his Master before him 
was, can turn his eyes toward heaven and sing, 

" Yonder's my house and portion fair, 
My treasure and my heart are there, 

And my abiding home ; 
For me my elder brethren stay, 
And angels beckon me away, 

And Jesus bids me come." 

Does unbelief arise in any heart, and suggest we are very 
far from our Father's house, in a howling wilderness, and 
between us and our destined home rolls the dismal gulf of 
death, and how are we to get there ? Never mind, Jesus 
will see to that. He says, "And if I go and prepare a 
place for you, I will come again and receive you unto my- 
self; that where I am, there ye may be also." Please 
observe our blessed Savior has promised, not to send, but 
to come for us. The distinction is all-important to Chris- 
tians. If Jesus only were to send for us, we should have 
to pass the dreary vale of death without him; but if he 
come for us, then will he return with us. Did not David 
mean this much, when he said, "Yea, though I walk 
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no 
evil : for thou art with me ; thy rod and thy staff they com- 
fort me ?" We are formed for sympathy. When we get sick 
for the last time, especially if at home among our friends, 
there will doubtless be as much feeling on the occasion as 
is necessary. The progress of disease will be observed 
with intense and increasing anxiety by those who shall 
around our beds their watchful vigils keep; with much 
affection they will wipe the cold sweat of death from our 
face, and hold the cordiaUto our quivering lips for the last 
time. Thus loth to part, they will go with us down to 
the margin of the river of death, and would accompany 
us farther if they could; but here we must bid adieu to 
wives and husbands, parents and children, brothers and 



SER. XXXIII.] FAITH IN CHRIST. 355 

sisters, ministers and physicians, friends and neighbors, 
and proceed alone, and yet, thank God, not alone, for Jesus 
will go with us all the way through. And shall we fear to 
follow where Jesus leads the way ? No ; he has conquered 
all our enemies, and death the latest foe to man; and now, 
faithful to his last promise, he comes again to receive us to 
himself, and lead us with songs of deliverance to our Fath- 
er's house. All our needless fears will then leave us ; all 
supposed obstructions and difficulties are nothing with him, 
"who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon 
the wings of the wind." When we step on the chariot 
of salvation, and wave a peaceful and final farewell to all 
sublunary things, the upward attraction of love will be too 
strong for the power of gravitation, and rising from the 
earth with Jesus, amidst a shining convoy of angels, our 
last militant song may be, 

" Sink down, ye separating hills, 

Let sin and death remove ; 
'Tis love that drives my chariot wheels, 

And death must yield to love." 
Our homeward flight will be more rapid than that of a 
sun-beam. Scarcely shall we have lost sight of these mun- 
dane shores, till we shall behold the glory of the heavenly 
city. Scarcely shall we have ceased to hear the groans and 
conflicts of earth, till our souls will be fired with the shouts 
of angels, and the songs of the redeemed in heaven. 
Scarcely shall we have finished taking leave of our friends 
on earth, till we shall be greeted by our friends in heaven, 
and made welcome to the everlasting habitations which 
Jesus has prepared for us ; that where he is, there we may 
be also, to behold his glory. Amen. 

THE END. 



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